Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, says the media outcry that greeted alleged N206 billon padding of the 2023 budget proposal of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, is as a result of communication gaps.
The Minister made this known at a meeting with the House Committee on Appropriation.
The public outcry that greeted the alleged padding of the spending plan of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs for the 2023 Fiscal year forms the basis of this gathering.
The Committee on Appropriation grills the Finance Minister and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
The lawmakers are not comfortable with the continued absence of the Humanitarian Affairs Minister over time before relevant Committees and moved to summon her.
But rather than adopt Taiwo Oluga’s motion, the Committee advised Sadiya Umar Farouq to come before it and provide clarifications on the raging matter.
In her submission, Finance Minister, attributes the outcry to communication gaps.
She insists there was no insertion of any kind in the ministry’s budget
Zainab Ahmed says the allocation of N206 billion was for multi lateral and bilateral loan projects.
The Permanent Secretary in the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry defends the Minister and tells the lawmakers padding didn’t emanate from her.
There was an outcry generated by the alleged padding of the 2023 Budget of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to the tune of over 200 Billion Naira.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Umar Farouq’s denial of the knowledge of the presence of the Money in the budget also fuelled the fire with many raising the allegation of the spectre of insertion of unauthorised projects into the budget reminiscent of the budget padding allegations made by Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin against Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara over the 2016 Budget.
