ONCE in every National Assembly (NASS) comes that Senator, vocal, articulate and more inclined, at least in speech, to a transparent conduct of activities at both the NASS and national levels. As this seemingly radical emerges, so also does the issue of budget paddling come to the fore.  The word ‘padding’ may seem malicious given that the term refers to an increment in the total amount of budget beyond the proposals of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Often, the increases may have been caused by the suggestion of new projects or the belief that estimated income and expenditure do not conform to market realities. In the present case, AtikuBagudu, The Minister of Budget and National Economic Planning, had explained that the N27.503 trillion estimates presented to the National Assembly by the President was increased to N28.77 trillion by the wisdom of NASS due to the current exchange rate and increased contributions from government owned enterprises, thus reflecting a concerted effort to optimize revenue streams.

HOWEVER, far from the narrative of the normal padding, Senator Abdul Ningi had accused the executive arm of government of committing an impeachable offence in that while the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year was N25tn, the one being executed by the Presidency was N28.7tn. Therefore, Senator Ningi was not insinuating a mere budget padding, but that the Presidency had deviated from the law as passed by the National Assembly without recourse to the rule of law.

WHILE analysts from ethnic, nationalist and academic views had given several opinions on the subject matter, The Hope insists that the issues raised in the allegations of Senator Ningi must not be swept under the carpet, and neither should the suspension fall within the efforts of encouraging him to ‘off the mic’. To this end, we demand that the Senator’s alleged exposé should be thoroughly investigated, and the findings should be made public as it indicts not only the Legislative but also the Executive arm of Government. This is given that the matter at hand goes beyond the insertion of N3.7tn into the budget, but that such insertion and execution (being a deviation from the past insertions),is illegal, and outside the law made by NASS

WHILE a national budget in the real sense of the matter is an estimate of income and expenditure, it is worrisome that inappropriate and peripheral considerations would suggest that such a law is fraught with corruption and uncertainty at its foundations. Thus, it may imply that corruption, bloated government expenditures and thus national underdevelopment may be the outcomes of the ‘padded’ budget. To this end, there is the need for further investigations into the 2024 Budget for certain reasons.

IN  the first instance, there is the need to confirm or otherwise the truth concerning the allegations of illegality in the execution of the budget. This is necessary for national planning, revenue allocation and expectations from various ministries and would in the end help in budget evaluation and progressive national development. Secondly, forensic investigations would also aid in the exposure of corrupt insertions, duplications, and repetitions that may be inherent in the budget passed by NASS. Thus, with the expected minimum wage, unnecessary bloat and inflation of recurrent expenditure would have been mitigated and financial leakages blocked.

THIRDLY, investigations would reveal the best treatment for Senator Ningi. If his allegations are found to be true, he would be regarded as a national hero, a gallant soldier against corruption, and a beacon of hope for a new Nigeria. However, if his allegations were found to be false, the few weeks’ suspension from the hallowed chambers may not be enough punishment for seeking to destabilise a lawfully constituted Presidency.

NEVERTHELESS, The Hope views the Ningi ordeal as a clarion call for transparency and accountability from people voted into power. Nigerians deserve, as a matter of right, quarterly reports from those who represent them in government on the performance of administrations, intentions of government and a harvest of people’s expectations from public office holders. That is why we insist that Nigerians must deliberately elect credible, forthright, and visionary people into public offices when civil obligations beckon.