By Milcah Tanimu

President Bola Tinubu is actively collaborating with the National Assembly to put an end to the practice of imposing unsuitable projects on ministries and federal agencies by lawmakers. This move is aimed at curbing budget padding and reducing the overall cost of governance.

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, discussed these efforts during an interview with Channels TV. He emphasized the joint efforts to reduce expenditure within the National Assembly, both in terms of officially allocated funds and any unofficial practices.

The term “off the books,” as used by Ngelale, refers to hidden or unauthorized activities that may involve budget padding and unethical dealings by legislators.

Ngelale elaborated, stating that there has been a history of the National Assembly inserting projects into the budgets of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that are not suited to their functions and roles. The intention is to stop this practice and align projects more appropriately with the mandates of the respective MDAs.

Nigerian legislators have been criticized for being among the highest-paid lawmakers globally while the country faces increasing levels of poverty. They have been associated with budget padding and including fictitious projects in budgets to serve their personal interests.

In 2016, former President Muhammadu Buhari highlighted the issue of budget padding, a practice where funds are added to the budget without proper justification. He revealed that around N481 billion had been padded into the budget that year. This led to legal action, with a court directing President Buhari to instruct anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the 2016 budget padding.

Tinubu’s efforts to collaborate with the National Assembly in addressing these issues reflect a push for greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Nigeria’s governance processes.