N1bn For Foreign Trip: Stay In Your Office – Senate Orders Trade Minister

 

The Senate has ordered Anite Doris Uzoka, the Minister of Trade and Investment to stay in her office and serve Nigerians after she budgeted N1bn for a foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland.

 

The Senate Committee on Trade and Industry condemned the outrageous amount on Tuesday when she came before it to defend the 2024 budget of the ministry.

 

Speaking during the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC – Edo North), said, “I see that you intend to travel to Geneva next year and you have budgeted over N1bn for that.

 

Oshiomhole also complained that the minister, Uzoka, was not always in her office during the period he visited.

 

He said, “Madam sit in your office and work for Nigerians. I have gone there twice. You are always in the Bank of Industry. If you preferred BoI, you should have declined the President’s nomination to be minister.”

 

In response, Uzoka said, “I assure you that I can work from anywhere and give Nigerians results. My office is currently under renovation.”

 

Speaking further, Oshiomhole said, “Let’s practise what we preach. We can’t talk about industrialisation and keep importing toothpicks and tyres. We must ensure that we have homegrown products.

In her response, the minister said, “Sir, I regret to say that we seem to have no record of our Balance of Trade. Or at least, it doesn’t exist in the ministry and that is why we initiated a new unit called Trade Intelligence Unit to ensure that such data is generated and stored.”

 

Oshiomhole disagreed with the minister for saying her ministry had no records of the nation’s Balance of Trade.

“No Madam. I don’t agree that there is no data. Such data exists with the CBN, Customs and other agencies,” Oshiomhole said.