…Ningi recently, in an interview granted the BBC Hausa Service, accused the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government of operating two versions of the 2024 budget
…Ningi, acting under the banner of Northern Senators’ Forum, also claimed that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 trillion as 2024 budget
MON, MAR 11 2024-theGBJournal|”We want to state categorically that the only 2024 budget that is being implemented is the N28.7 trillion budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President,” says Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, amid the raging 2024 budget padding controversy ignited by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central.
”Included in the budget are statutory transfers to the Judiciary, National Assembly, Tetfund and others,” Onanuga said on Sunday in a statement.
Ningi recently, in an interview granted the BBC Hausa Service, accused the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government of operating two versions of the 2024 budget but the President’s men have denied the accusation dismissing it as ”false”.
Ningi, acting under the banner of Northern Senators’ Forum, also claimed 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.
”Contrary to the strange view expressed by Senator Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed a N25 trillion budget that was not presented to the National Assembly,” the Presidency said in defence, adding that ”the President did not present a budget of N25 trillion.”
For emphasis, the Presidency said, ”It is also important to let Nigerians know that the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024 as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7 trillion. The National Assembly, in its wisdom, increased the amount proposed by the Executive by N1.2 trillion.
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.”
On the ”uncharitable claim” that the 2024 budget was anti-North, the Presidency said it found such position as canvassed by Senator Ningi as too far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status.
”In terms of funding, distribution of capital and priority projects, the 2024 Appropriation Act was not skewed against any section of the country,” the Presidency said.
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