Amb Nicholas Agbo Ella
The Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources says its decision to set up a budget committee will ensure adequate preparation and efficient implementation of the Ministry’s appropriation.
It is the first time the ministry has put in place a dedicated committee drawn from various departments for the purposes of preparing its budget proposals for parliamentary and presidential approvals.
Inaugurating the committee which comprises focal officers on budget matters on Friday, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Amb Nicholas Agbo Ella, said there was a need to have a “framework for the preparation and implementation of an enhanced and robust budget.”
Speaking at a brief inauguration ceremony of the committee at the ministry, Amb Ella said the officers were specifically chosen from the various departments and units of the ministry, considering their track record of service in the oil and gas industry.
He explained that gone are the days when a particular department in the ministry would sit and determine the budget needs of the ministry without the focal officers who would have a critical role to play in the formulation of the ministry’s budgetary requirements.
Earlier in his address at the event, the Director of Finance and Accounts at the ministry, Mr Mohammed Sanusi, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Budget, Mr Demza Peter, said the constitution of the focal officers was informed by the desire of the leadership of the ministry to ensure that there is a continuous improvement in the ministry’s annual budget on a sustainable basis.
Mr Peter further noted that the committee members would interface and support the budget division of the ministry in all budget-related matters.
The committees terms of reference include, development of a framework for continuous improvement of the Ministry’s annual budget that aligns with national development goals and priorities; budget planning, management, and evaluation, with a focus on continuous improvement and sustainability; identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics for measuring continuous improvement and sustainability in budget management, and Coordinate budget matters in their respective Departments/Units and report to the Budget Division of the Ministry.
The event was attended by the Director, Upstream Department, Engr Kamoru Busari; Director, Midstream & Downstream Department, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, and other officials of the ministry.
The inaugurated budget committee in a group photograph with the Permanent Secretary Amb Nicholas Agbo Ella and some directors of the ministry.
