Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, swung by the office of House Committee on Finance Chairman, Chief James Abiodun Faleke, earlier this week.
Insiders say the courtesy call was a quick, strategic chat ahead of yesterday’s formal start of the 2026 Budget Defence at the National Assembly.
Budget Defence Is Under Way
Chief Faleke’s panel opened its review sessions with federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) yesterday.
The first batch at the table:
– Federal Ministry of Finance
– Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC)
– Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET)
Officials handed over their fiscal papers, then fielded questions on revenue forecasts and spending plans. Faleke told reporters the committee will comb through every line to be sure the 2026 budget squares with today’s economic realities and the administration’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.
Why the Early Visit Matters
Edun’s stop-over is being read as a move to sync the executive’s numbers with the legislature’s oversight before things get tense. Regular face-to-face meetings, watchers say, cut down surprises and speed up reforms.
A committee source put it plainly: “When the Ministry and the panel lock arms early, the economy breathes easier. The Minister’s visit shows both sides want discipline, not drama.”
Who Is Chief James Abiodun Faleke?
Four-term lawmaker from Ikeja Federal Constituency, Lagos, Faleke chairs the House Finance Committee and has become the go-to watchdog for the national purse. Colleagues credit him with spotting leakages and chasing Government-Owned Enterprises (GOEs) until they remit every naira to the Federation Account.
He’s also a senior All Progressives Congress (APC) member and was deputy governorship candidate in the 2015 Kogi State election.
