The senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said on Monday, that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development must ensure the immediate completion of 73 women acquisition centres across the country.
Speaking during the budget defence session with the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Al-Hassan in Abuja, Tinubu believed the completion would enhance employment, especially for women.
The lawmaker described the Women Affairs Ministry as one dear to her heart, pleading with every Nigerian woman to show interest in the affairs of the ministry.
She noted that a situation, where only three out of the 75 acquisition centres were completed, did not speak well of the ministry, asking the ministry to furnish her with the breakdown of how the N270 million voted to equip the acquisition centres was spent.
According to her, “we should stop the business of abandoned projects which was so common in the last administration.
“We should complete the projects for the benefit of Nigerian women. It is in the interest of the Nigerian women that the projects are completed without further delay.
“We also want the headquarters of the Women Affairs Ministry to be completed. We have made our case. In 2017 budget, we want to see that something tangible is provided in the budget for the completion of our headquarters.
“This is a change government; we don’t want to see abandoned projects. The ministry should collate the number of projects and ensure that they are completed.”
Senator Tinubu said the completion of the acquisition centres became necessary, especially when they were constituency projects.
Senator Tinubu said she was still maintaining her stand that the budgetary allocation to the ministry was too meagre, adding that the onus was on the management of the ministry to ensure that funds allocated to the ministry was judiciously utilised.
The minister, Aisha Al-Hassan, said the government was doing all it could to ensure that all abandoned projects were completed, pleaded that new committee should take over the projects initiated by their predecessors.
She explained that the N270 million in the budget was not meant for equipping only three acquisition centres, saying the money was voted for the Economic Services Department of her ministry.