BudgIT Accuses National Assembly of Inflating Federal College’s 2024 Budget from N368 Million to N42.7 Billion

BudgIT Nigeria has revealed that the National Assembly (NASS) added over 42 billion to the 2024 budget of the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, which had initially proposed a budget of just N368 million.

BudgIT shared this information in a post on its official X handle on Monday. According to the civic group, the National Assembly ultimately approved a total budget of N42.7 billion for the college.

BudgIT expressed concern over the budget process, saying:

“Which way, Nigeria? Let us fear God in this country, because how can you explain this?”

“The Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, proposed N368 million, but the National Assembly approved N42.7 billion. A difference of N42 billion!!!”

“How are these insertions okay for a country struggling with loans and a high debt servicing ratio?” the organisation questioned

This is not the first time BudgIT has exposed such questionable insertions by NASS.

It will be recalled that it recently revealed that NASS added 182 projects worth N45.36 billion to the 2024 Federal Co-operative College, Ibadan, which had initially proposed a budget of just N1.5 billion.

Also, in a viral video posted on its X handle on Thursday, September 5, BudgIT revealed that the NASS had inserted N80 million in the 2024 budget of the National Space Research Development Agency for a project labelled ‘Pregnancy Sensitisation,’ a project outside the mandate of the agency.

Read: Institute Of Tourism Budgets N2b For Road Aesthetics; Over N1bn For Supply Of Streetlights

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