BudgIT, a civic-tech non-profit organisation, has identified 460 projects that were duplicated in the 2022 budget after examining the 21,108 capital projects.
Iyanu Fatoba, the communications associate at BudgIT, revealed this in a statement explaining that these duplicated projects amount to N378.9 billion.
The statement read in parts, “Our preliminary analysis of the 21,108 capital projects in the 2022 approved budget revealed 460 duplicated projects amounting to N378.9 billion. Recall that BudgIT observed 316 duplicated projects inserted into the 2021 FG Budget approved by NASS. ICPC verified 257 duplications, while the Budget Office confirmed the existence of only 185 duplicated projects worth N20.13bn, after which it informed the public that funds were not released for the projects in 2021.”
“ICPC verified 257 duplications, while the Budget Office confirmed the existence of only 185 duplicated projects worth N20.13bn, after which it informed the public that funds were not released for the projects in 2021.”
BudgIT further revealed that these inflated projects were directly linked to the Presidency and the statehouse.
“Occurrence of inflated projects amounting to billions of naira directly linked to the State House and the Presidency is a cause for concern. Examples include the N20.8billion requested by the Presidency to construct a 14-bed presidential wing at the existing State House Medical Center, N28.72million requested for the purchase of 2units of 10KG washing machines,s and 6units of LG Televisions in the State House Lagos Liaison Office, among others.
“Speaking of projects approved under MDAs that do not have the capacity to execute them, The National Agency For Great Green Wall which was set up to prevent land degradation and desertification afflicting 11 states in northern Nigeria, and to boost food security in the country has N1.3billion or 64% of its capital budget dedicated to purchasing Motorcycles, Street lights and other projects outside its mandate. This is disingenuous especially as communities in these states are being ravaged by bandits and terrorists who often arrive in motorcycles.
“Likewise, four (4) recreational parks under the Ministry of Environment, have a total allocation of N67.8million to construct “Gun Armouries” in Cross Rivers, Kaduna, Borno & Yobe States, even though the Ministry of Environment is not a security agency. This raises the question – Why is the ministry of environment stashing guns in recreational parks in these states in an election campaign year and at a time when the country is facing unrest in nearly all of the 36 states?”, the statement added.
President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the N17.13 trillion 2022 appropriation bill into law last December after the National Assembly raised the fiscal budget from N16.391 trillion to N17.127 trillion.
