N3.7trn Budget Controversy: Onigbinde Weighs In on Senator Ningi’s Claims

The controversy surrounding the N3.7trn budget allocation in Nigeria’s 2024 Appropriation Act has sparked debate among lawmakers and experts alike.

In a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Seun Onigbinde, Co-Founder of civic group BudgIT, weighed in on the claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Onigbinde acknowledged that Senator Ningi was right in calling for a detailed breakdown of the budget, but refuted the claim that Nigeria was running two concurrent budgets.

He clarified that the N28.78trn budget signed into law by President Bola Tinubu was an increase from the initial N27.5trn, and included both the ministries, departments, and agencies (MDA) budget, as well as the government-owned enterprises budget.

The controversy arose when Senator Ningi, who resigned as Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum following his suspension on Tuesday, alleged that there was no detailed breakdown for about N3.7trn of the N28.78trn 2024 Appropriation Act.

Onigbinde and his team at BudgIT fact-checked the claims and found that while some budget items, such as statutory transfers, do not have a breakdown, there was no evidence of a missing N3.7trn in capital projects.

Onigbinde emphasized the importance of transparency in the budgetary allocations to MDAs and government-owned enterprises.

He pointed out that there are still components of the budget where there are no breakdowns, such as the National Assembly’s allocation, which lacks a detailed explanation of how funds are being used.

As the debate continues, both the executive and the National Assembly should strive for greater transparency and accountability in the budgeting process.

This would allow for a more informed public and ensure that resources are being allocated and utilized in a manner that benefits the Nigerian people.