By Musa Baba Adamu
A former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has thrown more light on how members of the National Assembly pad Nigeria’s budgets
Peoples Daily reports that a budget padding scandal is currently rocking the National Assembly after Bauchi North senator, Abdul Ningi, claimed that about N3.7 trillion in the 2024 Appropriation Act was not tied to any project.
Although the Senate on Tuesday slammed Ningi with a three-month suspension over the allegation, the lawmaker has insisted that there are documents to back his claim.
While the issue continues to gain more attention from concerned Nigerians, Shehu Sani, in a post on his official X handle on Thursday, educated the public on what budget padding means, and how members of the National Assembly go about the act.
According to him, “Paddling budget means tampering with the budget presented by the President or the MDAs by either adding figures to the costs of projects or inserting projects that were not in the original budget.
“For example, a Minister can say he wants to buy 5 Buckets for his Ministry at 5k each; magically, he will see 8 Buckets approved for him or 5 Buckets approved at the rate of 10k each or he will see Shovels and diggers added to his request for Buckets.”
Rejection of appointment of membership of CBN Board of Directors by Urum Kalu Eke from Abia State , came to the fore yesterday during confirmation of appointments of four other nominees by the Senate .
The Chairman of Senate Committee on Banking , Insurance and other Financial Institutions , Senator Adetokunbo Abiru ( APC Lagos East), had in report presentation for confirmation of the nominees by the Senate after screening exercise carried out on them, , informed his colleagues that Mr Urum Kalu Eke didn’t attend the session.
He specifically informed the Senate that four other nominees , Mr Robert Agbede , Mr Ado Yakubu Wanka , Professor Murtala Sabo Sagagi and Mrs Muslimat Olanike Aliyu , appeared before the committee for screening and convinced it of their suitability for the appointments .
He thereafter urged the Senate to confirm appointments of the four nominees who attended the screening session and decline that of Kalu Eke who didn’t attend the screening exercise.
But for purpose of clarity , a member of the Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu ( APC Abia North), quickly rose to inform the Senate that Urum Kalu Eke being one of his constituents , called him that he was declining the appointment to avoid conflict of interest .
According to Senator Kalu , Urum Eke , is a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions which would make him not have the required time to function well, as one of the Directors of CBN .
“ Mr President , I’m a member of the committee that carried out screening on nominees forwarded to the Senate for appointment as members of Board of Directors of CBN by President Bola Tinubu .
He said : “ During the screening exercise , Urum Kalu Eke from Abia North , called me for not attending the session .
“ He said as a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions , he wouldn’t take the appointment to avoid conflict of interest “
Earlier in his presentation of report for confirmation of appointments of other nominees, Senator Abiru said all of them demonstrated comprehensive grasp of economic knowledge and policies and that there was no petition against anyone of them .
The Senate accordingly confirmed their appointments when put to voice vote by the Deputy President of the Senate , Senator Jibrin Barau , who presided over the session .
