N4.5b not implanted in 2022 budget, NDLEA declares

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismissed reports that N4.5 billion was ‘padded’ into its proposed 2022 budget.

The agency said it had been inundated with calls and messages, since Tuesday, seeking clarification over the alleged insertion of the money for construction of police barracks into its proposed budget being considered by the Senate.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said his statement is a formal response and clarification on reports suggesting the agency’s proposal submitted by the Federal Ministry of Finance was doctored.

He said: “It is public knowledge that President Muhammadu Buhari magnanimously approved the construction of barracks for the NDLEA over a period of four years, starting from the 2022 fiscal year.

“Investigations have confirmed that the amount in question is indeed for the construction of NDLEA barracks but typographically inputted as ‘police barracks’ in one of the documents attached to the proposal from the Budget Office.

“The error has since been corrected and the budget cleared on Tuesday by the Senate committee.”