Daily Trust reports that Amaechi's absence on Tuesday, January 20, 2018 stalled the ministry’s 2018 Budget defence.

Alhaji Sabiu Zakari, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, made it known that the minister was unavoidably absent because he was indisposed.

“The honourable minister could not attend because he is sick; he was in the office briefly but he could not stay, that is why I am here to represent the minister,“ Zakari said.

In his response, Aminu Sani, the Chairman of the committee, said it was the tradition not to attend to any ministry except the minister in charge was present.

Sani also said that the committee sympathised with the Amaechi’s state of health, even though there was no formal letter written to the committee.

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“We could have received a formal letter before now but members want the minister to attend; everybody has prepared for the minister and majority are not in support that it should hold.

“The importance of this defence cannot be overemphasised; It’s our tradition not to take any other person except the minister; so I move that this defence should be adjourned till the minister is fit enough to attend,’’ he said.

Sani further adjourned the defence proceeding, stating that the committee would wait to hold the session whenever he fully recovered.