The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Engineering on Thursday stepped down consideration of the 2026 budget proposal of the National Centre for Technology Management (NCTM), escalating tensions between lawmakers and the agency’s leadership.
The committee also resolved to delete the agency’s allocation from the 2026 Appropriation Bill and recommended the immediate removal of its Director-General, Dr. Olushola Odusanya, for failing to appear before the panel to defend the proposal and for not submitting required documents for legislative scrutiny.
Presiding over the budget defence session in Abuja, Committee Chairman Mr. Inuwa Garba of Yamaltu/Deba Federal Constituency, Gombe State, expressed frustration, stating that “no presidential appointee should consider an invitation from the legislature optional, especially during the budget defence season.” He reminded that President Bola Tinubu personally appeared before the National Assembly to present the national budget and emphasized that agency heads should show equal respect for legislative oversight.
“If the President were here to present the budget proposal, I don’t see why any of his appointees would ignore the invitation from the parliament to field questions on the past budget and the new one,” Garba said. He added that the action should serve as a deterrent to other agency heads contemplating similar conduct.
The committee also criticized the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFOST) over its low internally generated revenue—N385,000 in 2024 and N285,860 in 2025—and a sharp increase in overhead costs from N95.40 million in 2025 to N195.73 million in the 2026 proposal. NiCFOST Registrar Mrs. Veronica Nkechi-Eze explained that the council’s revenue comes mainly from registration fees and professional dues, charging N5,000 for registration and N2,000 in annual dues from about 10,000 members, but could not explain the rise in overhead costs.
Mr. Garba stated that further engagements with the agencies would determine the final course of action, stressing that the committee would not condone any act perceived as disrespectful to the Constitution, the legislature, or democratic governance.
