There won’t be any project duplication in the 2024 budget, according to Philip Agbese, the House of Representatives’ deputy spokesman.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, he stated that the budget estimates for 2023 will be examined more closely than the previous National Assembly’s customary procedure.
Our focus is on exploring alternative approaches to tasks that have been performed in the past.
“To address these issues, we will use the legislative instrument. While we pledge to carefully review the budget document, one of our first priorities is to make sure that, with regard to the 2024 budget, there are no duplicate projects,” Agbese stated.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) disclosed in 2022 that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) duplicated projects to inflate the 2021 budget by N300 billion. Additionally, the ICPC revealed that MDAs had added N100 billion in duplicate projects to the 2022 budget.
President Bola Tinubu gave the National Assembly his first budget estimates, totaling N27.5 trillion for 2024, on November 29, 2023.
The 2024 budget, according to Agbese, will not operate as usual because all funds will go towards helping the Nigerian people.
In the past, there have been instances where authorities have duplicated projects and allocated funds for them. We are informing the people of Nigeria that things will not be the same after the 10th National Assembly.
In his words, the House would “ensure that the things that will be done differently will have a positive impact on the welfare of the people, not just that we do things differently.” The people of Nigeria will be the beneficiary of every single kobo.
Agbese said that no money would be lost and that the House will closely monitor the 2024 budget appropriation.
