Thread by @BudgITng

BREAKING

Our latest analysis of the #2022Budget reveals that some projects linked to MDAs that cannot execute them are directly connected to @nassnigeria leaders, including Hon. @femigbaja & Sen. @OvieOmoAgege.

We call on NASS to review this and other infractions Now!

Thread!

Another cause for concern is the timeframe within which the 6,576 capital projects were inserted into the budget by legislators. BudgIT has valid concerns on whether the Project Design Documents (PDD) were created as required by the 2022 Budget Public Investment Guidelines.

A poorly designed and costed public sector project is almost destined to fail ab initio and lead to poor value for money for taxpayers.

Also, the insertions of these 6,576 projects bloated the budgets of different federal ministries, contributing further to a breach of the budget ceiling safeguards announced by the Budget Office of the Federation on August 19, 2021.

On budget padding, BudgIT discovered several projects do not meet the definition for CAPEX according to the FRA. For example, N5.6billion allocated to over 150 Meetings, Conferences, and Board Meetings was listed as capital expenditures across different MDAs.

Also worrisome is the federal government’s selective opacity in its budget transparency as it concerns certain agencies that have been indicted for fraud. For emphasis, while the budgets of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service,

Nigeria Customs Service, Galaxy Backbone, amongst many others, were entirely missing from the 2022 approved budget, that of the Niger Delta Development Commission—although included in the 2022 approved budget, has no breakdown of capital expenditure.

The National Assembly must demonstrate a stronger commitment to publishing, vetting and appraising the budget proposal from the Executive and their agencies, especially using feedback from the country’s Auditor General to assess allocations to agencies...

involved in misappropriations, extra-budgetary allocations, and other forms of corruption in the previous years.

Also, there is an urgent need for the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007, before the National Assembly, to be given a speedy hearing and corresponding presidential assent to empower the Fiscal Responsibility Commission to enforce fiscal discipline.

Nigeria currently loses trillions of naira in revenues due to MDAs breaching provisions of the FRA 2007.

Likewise, BudgIT is aware that the budget is currently with the National Assembly for review; thus, we call on the citizens, CSOs, private sector, and the international community to urgently prevail on the National Assembly and Presidency...

to immediately redress and eliminate these violations in the FG’s 2022 Approved Budget to ensure public funds work for all Nigerians and not for a privileged few politicians.

Full statement above