The Senate Committee on Environment has lauded the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) over its modern state of the art Genetic Modification (GM) Detection and Analysis Laboratory.
The senators made the statement during an oversight visit to the agency in Abuja, while they were taken on a tour of the laboratory.
Chairman, the Committee, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said in such a short time of establishment, the agency has achieved a lot in terms of equipment, personnel and performance.
Senator Tinubu who said the committee came to ascertain the level of performance for the years 2017 and 2018, of the Agency’s budget, also commended the Director General/CEO of the Agency, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, for achieving so much in a short time.
Ebegba presented the 2017 and 2018 budget performance to the committee noting that the essence of the GM detection and analysis laboratory is to ensure that no Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is allowed into the country without proper verification and authorization.
While presenting the budget, he said: that in 2017 about two hundred and forty-three million, seven hundred and thirty-four thousand, four hundred naira was appropriated, about one hundred and seventy-one million, eight hundred and six thousand, two hundred and thirty-five Naira was released and one hundred and seventy-one million, eight hundred and six thousand, two hundred and thirty-five naira was expended.
He further stated that said for 2018, about two hundred and fifty-eight million, sixty-nine thousand, nine hundred and twenty naira was appropriated, twenty-five million, eight hundred and sixty thousand, nine hundred and ninety-two naira was released and about twenty-five million, eight hundred and fifty-one thousand, sixty-one naira has been expended so far.
