Alleged budget padding: Senators clear finance minister

The Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday cleared the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, of alleged insertions in the 2023 budgetary provisions of some MDAs. The Ministries of Defence, Power and Humanitarian Affairs, and National Universities Commission had said some line items running into billions of naira were inserted into their budgets […]

The Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday cleared the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, of alleged insertions in the 2023 budgetary provisions of some MDAs.

The Ministries of Defence, Power and Humanitarian Affairs, and National Universities Commission had said some line items running into billions of naira were inserted into their budgets without their knowledge.

Ahmed told the committee yesterday that the various sums some heads of agencies feigned ignorance were approved by the Federal Executive Council before the budget presentation by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly.

“Most of these sums are bilateral or multilateral loans captured in the budget of agencies selected for projects execution for sole purpose of transparency.

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“The totality of such loans captured in the proposed budget of the relevant agencies is N1.771trn,” she said.

The chairman of the committee, Senator Jibrin Barau, said the clarifications made by the minister were well understood, commending her for ensuring transparency with capturing of such loans or grants in the budget.