A former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has explained how Nigerian lawmakers pad the budget.
Sani’s explanation follows the 2024 budget padding scandal 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.
Following the allegation, the Senate on Tuesday slammed Ningi with a three-month suspension over the allegation.
Reacting, 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.”