The Bola Tinubu presidency has accused the Northern Senators Forum of spreading falsehoods about the 2024 budget to portray the Federal Government in a bad light.
This is contained in a Sunday statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Recall that the senator representing Bauchi Central, Senator Abdul Ningi recently told the BBC Hausa Service that the Tinubu-led Federal Government was operating two versions of the budget.
Ningi said the Northern Senators Forum which he leads engaged with some experts to review the budget.
He further said that the 2024 budget was padded with N3 trillion in the National Assembly.
“For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?” Ningi said.
In its statement, the presidency denied the allegation of budget padding.
It said the budget that President Tinubu signed into law on January 1, 2024, as passed by the National Assembly was N28.7 Trillion.
“Following the false claims made by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government is operating two versions of the 2024 budget, we consider it appropriate to inform Nigerians that there is no truth whatsoever in the allegation.
“Acting under the banner of Northern Senators’ Forum, Senator Ningi, falsely claimed in an interview he granted BBC Hausa Service, that the National Assembly debated and passed N25 Trillion as 2024 budget and not the N28.7 Trillion that is being implemented by the Federal Government.
“To begin with, President Tinubu on November 29, 2023 presented a budget of N27.5 Trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly made up of N9.92 Trillion recurrent expenditure, Debt Service N8.25 Trillion and Capital Expenditure N8.7 Trillion.
“This was widely reported. He did not present a budget of N25 Trillion.
“Contrary to the strange view expressed by Senator Ningi, there was no way the Senate could have debated and passed a N25 Trillion budget that was not presented to the National Assembly,” Onanuga’s statement read in part.
The presidency said a ranking senator like Ningi should pay due attention to details before making wild claims.
The presidency also debunked Ningi’s claim that the 2024 budget being implemented by the Federal Government is anti-North.
“On the uncharitable claim that the 2024 budget was anti-North, we found such position as canvassed by Senator Ningi as too far-fetched and unbecoming of a leader of his status.
“President Tinubu is leading a government that is fair and equitable to every part and segment of Nigeria. In terms of funding, distribution of capital and priority projects, the 2024 Appropriation Act was not skewed against any section of the country.
“The North as an integral part of the country is well covered in all areas, from security to agriculture, healthcare to education, and other important infrastructure such as roads, rail, dams, power and irrigation projects to support all year-round agriculture,” the statement further read.