Don't pad 2025 budget, CISLAC warns National Assembly

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to prioritise transparency and accountability in allocating projects in the 2025 budget.

The organisation specifically cautioned against budget padding and the inclusion of questionable allocations, such as funds designated for scrapped ministries like the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Sports.

President Bola Tinubu presented a budget of N49.7 trillion to the National Assembly last Wednesday.

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, on Monday, CISLAC described such allocations as indicative of inadequate needs assessment and a disregard for accountability, stressing the need for urgent reforms to restore public trust.

Rafsanjani also condemned the recurrent practice of certain legislators exploiting the budget process to allocate resources for constituency projects lacking a legal framework for monitoring and accountability.

“These projects are often implemented without adherence to public procurement regulations and fail to address the genuine needs of citizens,” he said.

Drawing from the Auditor-General’s report, CISLAC highlighted irregular payments totaling over ₦197.72 billion across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) between 2020 and 2021.

These violations, according to the CISLAC boss include systemic lapses in financial compliance and procurement processes.

Rafsanjani called on the Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly to act decisively in addressing these irregularities and recovering misappropriated funds.

He urged the National Assembly to conduct the budget process with integrity amid widespread allegations of extortion and fraudulent insertions of budget line items in ministries and parastatals.

According to him, to clear the allegations against them, members of the National Assembly must ensure the 2025 budget is transparent, credible, and free of malpractice.

He also criticized parastatals that continue to receive statutory allocations without delivering tangible results.

“The Auditor-General’s recommendations must guide this process. Nigerians deserve a budget that aligns with the President’s objectives, not one marred by scandals, allocations to non-existent entities, and project duplications,” he said.

The organization called for improved legislative oversight, urging members of the National Assembly to move beyond limited engagement during budget presentations and address the misuse of funds by unaccountable agencies.

Additionally, CISLAC appealed to anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences

Commission (ICPC), to monitor the budget process, investigate fraudulent activities, and enforce compliance with procurement laws.

It emphasized the critical need for accountability, transparency, and disciplined execution to ensure the budget delivers measurable benefits to the people.