The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, has declared that members of the National Assembly did not break any law with new insertions in the 2024 budget.
Bagudu, while speaking during a press briefing Thursday in Abuja, said since 1999, it has become a norm in the passing of appropriation for the National Assembly to insert new line items to provide some dedicated projects to their constituencies, which often leads to the rise in approved budget from what was presented by the president.
Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, had raised the alarm over budget padding but was suspended Senateree months by the Senate.
However, reacting to the reports, Bagudu said the new insertions did not violate any law because what the president presented to the National Assembly was a bill, but the budget passed with modifications was an act by the assembly.
He said the Senate president submitted a budget to the tune of N27.5 trillion and the National Assembly, in its wisdom, increased it to N28.7 trillion.
Bagudu said: “When we presented the budget, it was at an exchange rate of N750 to a dollar, but the assembly increased it to N800 to a dollar. That created more revenue.
“The assembly also appropriated that the government-owned enterprises contribute more revenue. Then, there was an increase in the budget of the judiciary, legislature, and executive.
“The president, in signing the 2024 appropriation, acknowledged that in democracy, institutions have their power and the National Assembly has the last word.
“The evolution of constituency projects and projects by National Assembly members, which did not begin now but since 1999, reflects the challenge that elected persons are facing.
“There has been a long debate, and a former president went up to the Supreme Court to define the appropriation power of the executive branch and the National Assembly.
“Later, there was an out-of-court settlement. Till now, this issue has not been resolved. So, what is the power of the National Assembly as regards the budget?
“There is no Supreme Court judgment, and the choice of our democracy is that the National Assembly has the last word. Even when they pass an appropriation that assent is refused, after 30 days, it becomes law.
“Do they have the right to increase a budget line? I will say yes.”
He added that there has been a misconception about why budgets for agencies regarded as statutory transfers do not disclose line items.
