Senate, Humanitarian Minister battle over alleged N206bn budget padding
By Moses Adeniyi
As the controversy over alleged padding of budget by Federal Ministries,Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is yet to settle, the Senate engaged the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs,Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq yesterday over the controversial insertion of N206billion into the 2023 budget of the Ministry.
Padding the budget means making the budget proposal larger than the actual estimates for the project. It artificially inflates the proposed budget in order to give the project room to expand or to cover unexpected costs. Many see budget padding as unethical, but its practitioners defend it on the grounds of practicality.
Farouq, defending in Abuja the proposed 2023 Budget of the Ministry when she appeared before the Senator Yusuf Yusuf, led Senate Committee on Special Duties, was queried on the insertion of the said sum.
She, however, said she was unaware of how the N206bn in question was inserted into her Ministry’s budget by the Federal Ministry of Finance, promising the Committee to relay back information upon clarification from the Ministry of Finance.
Farouq explained that the Ministry requested for some projects for the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and National Social Safety Net Project in the 2022 budget which was not released, but the Ministry was taken aback that the money was now 10 times in the 2023 Budget of the Ministry.
Dust was raised when attention was drawn by a member of the Committee, Senator Elisha Abbo (All Progressives Congress, Adamawa North), asking the Minister about the N206bn in the budget.
“What programmes do you implement in National Social Safety Nets? Few days ago we had a course to summon Minister of Finance when we were considering the ministry of health and primary health care. We observed N301 billion was inserted in the budget of 2023 which will be funded through multilateral and bilateral loans.
“We asked the Minster to give us the details of the activities and projects that will be implemented with this money and he said he wasn’t the one, that he was not the one that it was the Ministry of Finance.
“In 2023, you intend to borrow N206 billion for this same project. What are the projects to be implemented in that. Is it captured in MTEF? If it is, are the specific project location activities attached to this,” the lawmaker queried.
Responding, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said, explanation to the said sum would be obtained from the Ministry of Finance, the details of which she said would be made to the Committee.
“Yes, we made mention of the projects for 2022 which was not released and part of it was part for the NEDC.
“The money was not released and now we have seen it recurring by almost 10 folds and we are also going to clarify from the Ministry of Finance to know why this increase despite the fact that the previous year, the money was not even released for the project.
“So, we will get the details then send to you on that.”
Recently, instances of infractions in the proposed 2023 Budget generated reactions as Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies appear before the National Assembly to defend their proposed budget.
