The suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District may have in a way, put to rest the brouhaha that trailed the 2024 Appropriation Bill. In an interview with BBC (Hausa Service), the Senator alleged that the 2024 budget passed by the National Assembly for the fiscal year was N25 trillion, while the one being implemented by the presidency is N28.7trillion. Budget padding is not a new story in Nigeria. In fact, it blew open in the Eighth Assembly when it became very rampant. It has become a systemic thing in the Nigerian democratic system, and the lawmakers are not ashamed of this unpatriotic act. It’s rather disheartening that we are taking more steps backwards than going forward as a nation.
It is on this reverse order that the people who are in the majority are not having their way, and surprisingly, the lawmakers, who are in the minority are having a field day. The story also making the rounds, points to the fact that some ranking senators got as much as five hundred million naira, while others got less of the appropriated funds for their constituency projects. This further tells the story that the people are not crying for nothing, and that anything is possible in Nigeria. The intriguing thing is that the image of the National Assembly is being dragged in the mud, no matter how anyone sees it, especially now that some members of the upper chamber are lamenting, telling Nigerians the whole truth, and what is playing out in the National Assembly.
That the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on January 1, 2024 signed into law, as passed by the National Assembly, N28.7 trillion and not N25 trillion which the presidency claimed was not in any way presented, months after the president’s assent. The fact that issues are beginning to emerge leaves much to be desired. Understandably, N9.92 trillion was earmarked for Recurrent Expenditure, N8.25 trillion for Debt Servicing, while N8.7 trillion was appropriated for Capital Expenditure, yet, the members are unsettled. The National Assembly therefore, should realise that their modus operandi and law-making process in the house is questionable, and should therefore, strive to be more transparent to avoid further crisis. Quoting the Special Adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; “In the spirit of democracy which allows give and take, President Tinubu didn’t withhold his assent to the Appropriation Bill as passed by the National Assembly.
We want to stress that if the budget figure was increased and made to be different from what the Executive proposed, it was the National Assembly that jacked it up in exercise of its power of appropriation.” Apparently, the 2024 Appropriation Bill implementation may have started its full course since we are almost at the end of the first quarter. The presidency therefore, in addition to the press statement issued, should do well to tell Nigerians what it knows about the extra N3 trillion, and for the fact that it affects every Nigerian irrespective of party, tribe or religion.
We call on the lawmakers and by extension, the presidency who, incidentally, also include Christians or Muslims, to realise the enormity of their responsibilities as the representatives of the people. The situation in the country currently, whereby school children, almost on daily basis, are hurled into waiting vans and motor bikes by terrorists and bandits unchallenged, calls for sober reflection and not a time to share the common wealth of the people by those elected to represent them. Enough of issues and rumours of budget padding, looking at the condition of the country politically and economically.