As the scandal rocking the National Assembly over budget padding continues to elicit reactions from Nigerians, former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has shed light on the deceptive maneuvers employed by NASS members to inflate Nigeria’s budgets.
Despite the Senate’s punitive measures against Bauchi North senator Abdul Ningi, who raised alarm over N3.7 trillion discrepancies in the 2024 Appropriation Act, Ningi stands firm, insisting on evidence to support his claims.
Amidst the controversy, Sani took to his official X platform (Formerly Twitter) to demystify the term “budget padding,” revealing how politicians manipulate budgetary allocations by either inflating project costs or inserting entirely new projects.
Sani’s insightful explanation unveils the intricate methods used, illustrating how a minister’s request for mere buckets can magically multiply into inflated figures or irrelevant items, painting a vivid picture of the deceptive practices at play within the corridors of power.
“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,” he explained.
