Abuja: The House of Representatives Committee on Millennium Development Goalsyesterday threatened to impose sanctions on ministries, department and agencies who fail to implement fully programmes and projects captured in the 2010 budget to enhance the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. Chairman of the House Committee on MDG, Honourable Saudatu Sani gave the warning during a meeting with selected MDAs to discuss the implementation of the programmes for which the Federal Government has earmarked the sum of N136billion in the current fiscal year.

Available statistics indicate that out of the total budget for MDG this year, N14.6bn has appropriated for programmes in the Education sector; N14.9bn in Health; N2.13bn in Women affairs while N20bn has been dedicated to projects in the Housing sector. In addition, the sum of N4bn has been earmarked as budget supplementation, N20bn for MDG Quick Win projects and N38.657bn is for Conditional Grant Scheme.

In her opening remarks at the interaction with officials of the MDG-line Ministries Departments and Agencies, Sani said 2010 was a significant year to the Millennium Development Goal as it marks the tenth year of MDG and five years to 2015, the date set by the United Nations for the attainment of the goals across the world. She reminded the MDAs that as politicians, the lawmakers will soon be engrossed in electioneering activities ahead of the 2011 general elections, adding that the bulk of the job of budget implementation will be left to the individual ministries and agencies.

According to her, Nigeria has registered appreciable progress in its quest to attain the goals but all hands needed to be on deck to ensure that the targets set in the areas of improved health care, education, gender equality and poverty reduction were achieved.

Sani decried the practice in some MDAs where MDG projects were relegated to the background rather than given the priority it deserved, stressing that the parliament will no longer tolerate such situations. As long as budgetary provisions have been made for specific projects and programmes, she said, no human error or bureaucratic bottlenecks should be allowed to thwart the efforts of the Nigerian government to attain the Millennium Development Goals.

"Over the years, we had cases of MDG funds being returned to the Federation Account as unspent funds due to non-implementation of the budget at the end of each fiscal year. It is against this background that we consider it imperative to join hands with the Executive to arrest this ugly trend. We cannot have unspent funds when our children are still roaming the streets begging; when our children are not going to school and when our pregnant women keep dying during child birth as a result of poor or non-availability of healthcare services. This is certainly unacceptable to Parliament. We need to be more patriotic and more committed in our efforts towards attaining MDGs in Nigeria," she said.

Sani urged the MDAs to be steadfast in budget implementation this year because as politicians, the lawmakers will soon be engrossed in electioneering activities ahead of the 2011 general elections and the bulk of the job will be left to the individual ministries and agencies.