The Parliamentary Watch Initiative (PWI) has dismissed claims that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a ₦246.77 billion salaries budget, describing the allegation as false, misleading and a gross misrepresentation of Nigeria’s federal budgeting process.

In a statement on Monday, PWI Convener, Mr. Amuta Gabriel Amuta, said an extensive investigation into the mandate, operations and financial structure of the commission revealed that the NEDC is operating responsibly and in strict compliance with its statutory mandate.

According to the group, a forensic review of budget documents, statutory provisions and oversight reports shows that the commission, under the leadership of its Chairman, Major General Paul C. Tarfa (rtd), and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Goni Alkali, is delivering results beyond expectations for a relatively young development agency.

PWI clarified that the widely circulated ₦246.77 billion figure does not represent personnel or salary costs, but rather a consolidated statutory allocation captured at an aggregate level in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

Citing a clarification by the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF), the group explained that presenting the figure as personnel expenditure reflects a poor understanding of the federal budgeting framework. The Budget Office, it noted, has explained that during budget preparation, provisional aggregate allocations may temporarily appear under personnel cost headings as technical placeholders pending full disaggregation.

The group also addressed claims that the NEDC received only ₦2.70 billion for capital expenditure, stating that the figure resulted from a National Assembly decision to defer about 70 per cent of the commission’s capital allocation to the 2026 fiscal year. It stressed that the deferment does not suggest underperformance or lack of project execution.

PWI further noted that personnel costs in a development commission are legitimate and essential, covering engineers, procurement officers, project managers, and monitoring and evaluation professionals critical to effective project delivery.

It added that the NEDC remains subject to multiple accountability mechanisms, including the MTEF, annual Appropriation Acts, National Assembly oversight, statutory audits, and performance reporting requirements.

Commending the commission’s leadership, the group described the NEDC as transparent and fiscally responsible, noting that it continues to implement critical development and humanitarian interventions across the North-East despite ongoing security and humanitarian challenges.

However, PWI warned that misinformation and selective interpretation of budget figures could undermine public trust and distort the realities of governance.

While welcoming public scrutiny, the group urged stakeholders and commentators to engage fiscal data responsibly and in good faith to avoid misleading the public or eroding confidence in key development institutions.