BudgIT alerts Tinubu allocates N732b likely to be diverted into private pockets
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
BudgIT through its subsidiary Tracka has alerted Nigerians that Bola Tinubu allocated N732 billion to vague empowerment projects in the 2024, an amount greater than the N646.5 billion devoted to health, stoking fears the fund would as usual be funnelled into private pockets through government agencies under the watch of the President.
One of the bizarre allocations is a N5 billion to procure and distribute official vehicles to traditional rulers in the six zones – even as they are not recognised by the Constitution and they mainly encourage corruption by conferring chieftaincy titles on treasury looters and helping politicians rig elections.
Traditional rulers are not elected and not accountable to the people.
Tinubu already allocated N7.9 billion to traditional rulers in the 2023 supplementary budget.
Tracka Head Ayomide Ladipo disclosed in a statement the empowerment projects in the 2024 budget are vague and difficult to track due to their nature.
He argued the N732 billion could have been better deployed to close the gap in the health, with Nigeria tagged the second-highest child mortality rate in the world.
Tracka alleged empowerment projects are used to siphon public resources, noting
the National Assembly already has 7,447 projects worth N2.24 trillion in the 2024 budget.
Tracka’s report also shows more than 2,558 projects valued at N624 billion are allocated to agencies outside their mandate.
It asked anti-graft agencies to probe these anomalies in the 2024 budget to forestall diversion, misappropriation, and embezzlement of tax payers’ money.
“Tracka maintains that empowerment projects are vague and challenging to track due to their nature. They are also used as a funnel to transfer public resources to party loyalists, resulting in the misuse of public funds,” Ladipo warned.
“In the 2024 Federal Government budget, there are 4,440 empowerment projects. Previously, empowerment projects were limited to constituency projects, but over the years, they have gradually seeped into capital projects through insertions by the National Assembly.
“For instance, the National Assembly inserted 7,447 projects valued at N2.24 trillion in the 2024 budget.
“Tracka identifies this as a problematic trend, considering the huge infrastructure gap and budget deficits the nation is grappling with.
“Further analysis also showed that over 2,558 projects worth N624 billion were allocated to agencies outside their mandate.
“An example is the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) – ERGP20241489 – allocated N5 billion for the Procurement and Distribution of Official Vehicles to Selected Traditional Rulers in the Six Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria (Multiple Lots).
“Another is the Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NiOMR) – ERGP20245718 – allocated N2.32 billion to construct a 3.5km Road from Methodist Church Ibu to the Eri River.”
BudgIT Country Director Gabriel Okeowo said: “The implications of assigning projects to agencies outside of their mandate are that it undermines monitoring, evaluation, and the sustainability of these projects.
“These agencies lack the expertise and personnel to ensure quality service delivery for these projects, leading to under-delivery and a colossal waste of taxpayers’ money and scarce resources.”
Tinubu signed the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget into law in January.
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