Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has urged both Bola Tinubu’s administration and the National Assembly leadership to provide clarity to Nigerians regarding the purported addition of N3 trillion to the officially approved national budget for 2024.
Describing the alleged inclusion of this separate N3 trillion budget, which deviates from the National Assembly’s approved budget, as a breach of trust between the Nigerian populace and their elected representatives, Obi emphasized the importance of accountability for the nation’s limited resources entrusted to public governance.
Expressing his dismay over the existence of such disparities, the former Governor of Anambra State questioned the rationale behind such discrepancies.
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In a tweet posted on his X account late Sunday night, Obi expressed his deep concern, stating, “I find it deeply disconcerting and a matter of grave concern and even shameful to read about the alleged N3 trillion discrepancy between the budget approved by the Nigerian Senate and the one being implemented by the presidency.”
“One Senator claims there is a separate budget, allegedly containing the N3 trillion, that differs from what was passed by the National Assembly.
“This alleged discrepancy is especially worrying because it represents over 10% of our national budget (estimated at N29 trillion) and is more than the combined education (N1.54 trillion) and health (N1.38 trillion) official budgets.
“This lack of transparency in managing public funds is a breach of trust between the Nigerian people and their elected leaders.”
“Every naira of our budget, especially in these challenging times, should be judiciously used to build a better Nigeria,” he said.
“We also deserve full accountability of all our scarce resources placed in public trust. Therefore, we, the Nigerian people, demand a public explanation from both the National Assembly and the Presidency regarding the purpose and process of adding this alleged N3 trillion allocation to the officially approved national budget for 2024.
“Transparency and accountability remain the cornerstones of good democratic governance at all levels. This is our unwavering commitment to building a New Nigeria which we insist remains possible.” Obi stated.