2024 Budget: PRP calls for urgent conduct of forensic audit

…wants reform of budgetary process, review of Ningi’s suspension

By Tunde Opalana

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has requested an urgent conduct of forensic audit of the 2024 budget.

This follows recent controversies that greeted allegation of budget padding by suspended Senator Abdul Ningi.

According to the party, comments and submissions of critical stakeholders has revealed that the Nigerian budgetary system at least in the last four years have been riddled with budget padding by the National Assembly.

Comrade Mohammed Ishaq, acting National Publicity Secretary of PRP in a statement made available to the Daily Times on Monday said it was revealed that “allocations in the National Budget to such establishments as the Judiciary are made emblock without details.

“Substantial additions of both projects and monies have been made at least in 2024 Budget for Constituency Projects”.

READ ALSO: NiMet forecasts 3-day sunshine, haziness from today

The party concluded that the National Assembly has failed the nation by not scrutinizing the budget proposals of the executive but just rubber stamp what is sent to them and add to such provisions the Constituency project of select few.

According to PRP, “scrutiny of the 2024 budget has unfortunately shown these allocations to the National Assembly totaling N43.3billion made by the executive and passed by NASS; N3 billion for NASS printing press, N12.1 billion NASS library complex, N3B for Purchase of books for the library, e – library N225 million, Car Park for senators N3 billion, N4B for NASS recreation club and N15B for building of new hospital for NASS.”

The party berated NASS for appropriating such amounts for the parliament “at a time when over 100 million Nigerians are facing hunger and disease, in a country where over 70m children are out of school, in a society where citizen provide almost everything for their needs, in an environment where social safety nets are unavailable etc above allocations by the Executive and passed by the National Assembly are putting it mildly wrong and rightly insensitive, insultive and shameful.”

The party further stared that “turning to amendments of Budgetary provisions proposed by the Executive to the NASS, we in the PRP agree that the NASS has the Constitutional right to add or subtract from the budget proposals submitted to it by the Executive and this has got the affirmation of the Supreme Court of Nigeria but this power, we submit does not entitle the NASS to allot billions and hundreds of millions to opaque constituency projects that Senator Agom Jaribe brought out in the course of the budget debate.

“Allocations for Constituency projects as we have seen is not driven by needs nor population and most certainly not transparently decided but hinged on considerations that lead to unfairness and corruption. These underscore the need for reform of the budgetary system.”

In the light of aforesaid revelations on 2024 budget and budgetary system at least in the last four years, the PRP strongly recommend “Forensic Audit: We call for an immediate, independent, and comprehensive forensic audit of the 2024 Budget process to uncover any instances of corruption, misappropriation, or mismanagement and unfairness between constituencies. This audit should be conducted by a reputable and neutral third-party organization, with the findings made public to promote transparency and accountability.

“Budgetary Reform: The PRP advocates for a complete overhaul of the Nigerian budgetary system. This should include the implementation of strict guidelines to prevent undue influence on budgetary allocations, the establishment of a centralized database for tracking all budgetary processes, and the introduction of stringent penalties for any violation of these guidelines.

“Constituency Projects: We strongly call for stoppage of constituency projects as we have seen that it is prone to abuse, corruption and unfairness on how constituencies in the federation are being treated.

“Strengthening Institutional Capacity: All legislatures at sub National and National levels should be thoroughly trained on budgetary system which is to henceforth be driven by needs, fairness and budget implementation from the point of signing the budget into law should be open and each constituency should know as of right their projects and the contractor to executive same.”

On Whistle Blowing, the party faulted the action of the Senate President and the entire Senate not only morally wrong but legally offensive.

“Senate President Akpabio who was accused by Senator Ningi of wrongdoing sat as a judge and a witness in the proceedings that culminated into the suspension of Senator Abdul Ningi. Akpabio presided over the proceedings in which Ningi was tried, convicted and sentenced.

“You cannot be a judge in your own cause and Ningi has full protection of chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of Nigerian as Amended particularly sections 36(1) and 39(1) of the Constitution and he should be given fair hearing and instantly be recalled.

“In conclusion, we would say to Mr. President that yes we have heard you said that there was no padding of the 2024 Budget and those alleging padding did not understand arithmetic. Sir the issues wrong with the 2024 budget as we have seen are more than padding.

“There were unfair and unjust constituency projects allocations; there were absence of details on the budgetary provision of up to N3.7 trillion with no known control of the budget expenses; and; there were corrupt budget estimates such as costing of borehole at N193 million and N184million per street light. In our view you can begin the corruption fight of your administration by dealing with all the wrongs identified in the budget and correcting them,” the statement read.