The federal government has continued its tendency of disproportionate financial allocations in the annual budget, contrary to the intended goal of equitable wealth distribution.
This newspaper’s investigations have revealed that select institutions and senatorial districts, with influential members in both the National Assembly and the executive branches of government, influence the national budget to their benefit.
An analysis of the 2024 national budget revealed disparities, with some senatorial districts receiving as little as N6-7 billion, while others, such as the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, which is home to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, received a substantial N21 billion allocation from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security and Women Affairs alone.
This figure excludes allocations from other ministries to the same zone.
The former Akwa-Ibom State governor, serving his first term as Senate President, allegedly influenced various committees to secure his preferences in the N28.7 trillion budget.
Within the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and Women Affairs, over 20 new project items were introduced, ostensibly to serve specific interests.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture, peculiar budget items such as the construction of rural roads and markets in Akwa-Ibom North-West, totalling N18.5 billion, were proposed in the budget.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Women Affairs introduced four new items to empower women in the Senate President’s constituency.
Notably, N2.5 billion is allocated for women’s empowerment initiatives, including provisions of deep freezers and generators across ten local governments, with N250 million earmarked for each local government.
Detailed allocations also include N1 billion for the construction of rural farm roads in various local governments within the senatorial district, alongside N500 million for the installation of solar street lights in towns.
In addition, there are plans for the rehabilitation of roads, installation of transformers, and erosion control measures, amounting to billions of naira, aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and infrastructure development in the region.
Items on the list of the Ministry of Agriculture include the proposed construction of rural farm roads in Ikono & Abak of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial which will cost the government a total of N1 billion.
Another N1 billion is budgeted for the construction of rural farm roads in Essien & Etim expo of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N500m per LGA to make a total of N1 billion.
The proposed construction of new rural farm roads in Ika & Ikot Ekpene of the same constituency at N500 million per LGA will cost another N1 billion, with the construction of rural farm roads in Ini & Obot of the senatorial district at N500 million to cost a total of N1 billion.
Aside from that, the construction of rural farm roads in Orun Anam & Ukanafun of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district costs N500 million per LGA, bringing it to a total of N1 billion.
In a different provision, the government has planned to spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting up of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in all the towns in Ikono & Abak LGA of Akwa Ibom State, besides the N500 million that has been earmarked for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Essien & Etim Ekpo LGA of the state.
The ministry of agriculture will also spend N500 million for the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with one new standard solar street light in towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene LGA of Akwa Ibom State that was governed by Akpabio for eight years.
In that same regard, the fabrication and lighting of all rural farm roads with all-in-one new standard solar street lights in towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun LGA of the state is to cost the government another N500 million.
If Senator Akpabio can lobby the relevant financial departments of government to do his bidding, he will get the agric ministry to implement the rehabilitation of “selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns” in Ikono & Abak local government of North-West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom at the cost of N1 billion.
The ministry has also voted N1 billion for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Essien & Etim ekpo local government of the senatorial zone at the cost of N1 billion.
Unlike other senators, Akpabio’s constituency has got the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to budget for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ika & Ikot Ekpene local government of North West senatorial district of Akwa Ibom. That would cost N1 billion.
Another list of items in the budget for his constituency is the proposed rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Ini & Obot local governments of the state at an estimated cost of N500 million.
There is a new plan for the rehabilitation of selected roads and installation of new transformers and cables in different towns in Orun Anam & Ukanafun local government of North West Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom at N1 billion.
The long list also includes the planned construction of Ibiakpan-Not Akan road to boost agricultural output in Akwa Ibom State at the rate of N1billion, with the “construction of Ikot Uko road and Ikot Ebak at N500m each to aid the movement of fishery produce in Akwa Ibom State” for a total of N1 billion.
There is also the provision of N1.5 billion for erosion control in some parts of Abiakpo, Ikot Essien aci-aikono to ease movement of farm produce which is a new item on the budget, with the construction of internal roads at various communities in the senatorial district to take N1.5 billion.
The ministry has also planned the construction of markets in various communities in Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at the cost of N1 billion.
In detail, the Ministry of Women Affairs budget showed that Essien & Etim Ekpo got N500 million; Ikono & Abak, N500 million; Ika & Ikot Ekpene, N500 million, while Ini & Obot will also get N500 million for women empowerment. Another N500 million was earmarked for the empowerment of women with deep freezers, generators and other empowerment items to boost their daily earnings in the two local governments of Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district at N250 million each (Orun Anam & Ukanafun).
Call For Akpabio’s Resignation Morally Reprehensible – Senate
However, the Senate has described the call for the resignation of Senate President Godswill Akpabio as morally reprehensible.
By his position, Senator Akpabio is the chairman of the National Assembly.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for calling for the resignation of Senator Akpabio over the unfounded claim of N3.7trn budget padding allegations by the suspended Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi.
Adaramodu said the PDP had elevated chicanery to statecraft and fatally failed in their sordid attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting public, on the ineffectual but spurious allegations of budget padding.
“The party’s ludicrous call for the resignation of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President is unthinkable and shows the party as a massaging balm for falsehood and immoral Legislative outbursts,” he stated, adding “that Akpabio will not resign and has no intention to resign at any time because he has not committed any wrong doing to warrant a resignation”.
According to him, it is shocking that the PDP leadership could not comprehend what transpired at Tuesday’s plenary where the allegations were debated and Senator Abdul Ningi, who was given the ample opportunity to defend himself and prove the budget padding allegations, was suspended after he failed to substantiate his claims in the full glare of the public.
He said, “Contrary to the contention by the PDP that N3.7 trillion was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects, and what transpired on the floor of the Chamber, it is open knowledge that no such absurdity is found in the budget passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is being implemented judiciously by the federal government. Perhaps, the N3.7trn being mentioned in the PDP’s shocking statement exists only in the fickle minds of its purveyors and serves as a dubious version of the budget generated by PDP’s unidentified political flying objects.”
Budget: Atiku Insists On Investigation Into Ningi’s Allegations
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an immediate and thorough investigation into the allegations raised by Senator Abdul Ningi.
The former vice president also criticised the senate for the sudden suspension of the whistle-blower without adequate explanation, saying the action has fueled the crisis and raised more questions than answers.
Atiku, who reacted on the matter on his X handle, said, “Over the past few days, allegations have rocked the Senate, questioning the very integrity of the 2024 Appropriation Act, the cornerstone of our nation’s annual planning and development.
“A fiscal policy analytics and advocacy organisation has unequivocally confirmed a disturbing lack of transparency within the 2024 Appropriation Act.
“I demand an immediate and thorough investigation into these allegations. Appropriation lies at the heart of governance, and any deviation from serving the people’s interests will be met with fierce opposition.”
Atiku said denials are unacceptable, and the suspension of one senator cannot silence accusations of corruption and illegal fiscal spending by the federal government.
“Without a clear explanation to the people of Nigeria, we must treat these allegations for what they are: outright fraud.
“The accusation of budget padding totaling N3 trillion cannot be dismissed lightly by the government. Given the current hardships facing our nation, a padded budget is already translating to a padded hunger, padded poverty, padded insecurity, padded energy crises, padded forex instability, and the soaring cost of living.”
He said the Nigerians cannot afford to ignore allegations that worsen our already dire economic situation.
“The current federal government has a disgraceful track record of ignoring issues of transparency and due process in public administration.
“The unresolved $3.3 billion NNPCL loan repayment scandal, with Nigeria now expected to repay $12 billion, remains a glaring example.
“The Tinubu administration must address these high-profile corruption cases transparently,” he said.
(Leadership)