Budget Padding: Stop jumping into matters without confirming – Presidency knocks Peter Obi

The statement followed the claim by Senator Abdul Ningi
alleging that projects worth N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act are
not traceable.

Ningi, who is the Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum, had
alleged that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 trillion as 2024
budget and not the N28.7 trillion that is being implemented by the Federal
Government.

He made the allegation while speaking in an interview with
the BBC Hausa Service.

The senator also accused the President Bola Tinubu
administration of not being fair to all sections of the country in the
implementation of the budget.

Reacting to Ningi’s allegations, Obi said it was deeply
disconcerting and a matter of grave concern and even shameful to read about the
alleged N3 trillion discrepancy between the budget approved by the Nigerian
Senate and the one being implemented by the presidency.

Obi said it’s worrying because the amount involved
represents over 10 per cent of the national budget.

According to him, Nigerians deserve full accountability of
all the scarce resources placed in public trust.

“Therefore, we, the Nigerian people, demand a public
explanation from both the National Assembly and the Presidency regarding the
purpose and process of adding this alleged N3 trillion,” Obi said.

The Presidency had in a statement on Sunday, said the claim
by Senator Ningi was “false and there is no truth whatsoever in the
allegation”.