N103.6bn against N12bn Proposed: National Assembly Caught in budget padding for Nigerian College Enugu

The National Assembly has again in its unrestricted budget padding spree of the 2024 Fiscal Appropriation Act, reportedly inserted over N90 billion in the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, Enugu 2024 proposed budget.

Nigerian civic tech organisation, BudgIT Foundation, has revealed that the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, Enugu State in South-East Nigeria submitted a proposed budget of N12.8 billion to the National Assembly for 2024.

But the civic organisation said the National Assembly approved N103.6 billion for the college.

By approving N103.6 billion for the college against the N12.8 billion it proposed, the lawmakers padded the budget with a margin of N90.8 billion, representing over 5000% increment.

BudgIT also revealed that the National Assembly inserted 419 projects running into hundreds of millions.

The organisation in a short statement on its social media ac- count said, “Federal Cooperative College Oji River sent a 2024 proposed budget of N12.8 billion to the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly sent back an APPROVED budget of N103.6 billion!

“419 insertions! N90 billion budget hike! @NassNigeria, we hope it will not be business as usual in reviewing the 2025 proposed budget.”

Twelve out of the 419 insert- ed projects include N500 million allocated for provision of motorcycles and tricycles to some youths in Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states; N500 million allocated for construction of mini sport centre at Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra, and N600 million budgeted for construction of Fistula facility at National Obstetric Fistula Centre Abakaliki.

Others are provision of empowerment of selected skilled youths and market woman in Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states with a budgetary allocation of N600 million; construction of renewable mini solar grid and renewable all-in-one solar street lights and boreholes in Akinmorin, Afijio local government area, and Ijomu Oro in Oyo central and Kwara South senatorial districts with N500 million budget allocation.

Deployments of all-in-one solar street lights in selected communities in South-East senatorial district of Rivers State with a budget allocation of N500 mil- lion; N500 million allocated for provision of 90w all-in-one solar street lights in Eleme local government area of district of Rivers State.