The Nigerian Senate has reacted to the allegation by the Northern Senators Forum alleging that the 2024 budget was padded to the tune of N3trillion.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday called on the public to disregard the allegation, noting that everything about the passage and assent to the 2024 national budget was transparently done in the open without any form of underhand deals.
“There is no budget padding as far as the Senate and the National Assembly are concerned.
“The national budget is a public document, which expressly states the expected revenue and the expenditure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Senate, under the leadership of Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio, is not aware of any varied execution of the 2024 appropriation mandate, as approved
“The budget presentation and approval processes were made in the public glare, while the presidential assent was also in a public ceremony. Any infractions would have been brought before the Senate, if any.
“The general public should be at rest that there is no budget padding anywhere and we are confident that the 2024 appropriation law shall be strictly executed, under strict legislative oversight,” the Senate spokesman said in the statement.
Recall that the lawmaker representing Bauchi Central, Sen. Abdul Ningi in an Interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC had alleged that the Northern Senators Forum hired experts who revealed that the budget was padded.
He had said, “for example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?”
The senate will reconvene on Tuesday and it is expected that the allegation may feature on the debate on the floor of the Red Chamber as several lawmakers FACTSHEET spoke declined to speak on the matter until the Senate has officially discussed the allegation in the plenary.