PRP seeks end to constituency projects, audit of 2024 budget

People’s Redemption Party (PRP) has called for stoppage of constituency projects, insisting the process is prone to corruption and abuses by lawmakers.

It also sought an immediate, independent and comprehensive forensic audit of the 2024 budget by a reputable and neutral third-party to promote transparency and accountability.

The National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Ishaq, in a statement, yesterday, argued that allocations for constituency projects are not driven by needs, but hinged on considerations that lead to unfairness and corruption.

“These underscore the need for reform of the budgetary system,” he stated.

The party added: “At a time when over 100 million Nigerians are facing hunger and disease, in a country where over 70 million children are out of school, in a society where citizens provide almost everything for their needs, in an environment where social safety nets are unavailable among others, above allocations by the Executive and passed by the National Assembly are, putting it mildly, wrong and rightly insensitive, insultive and shameful.”

“Turning to amendments of budgetary provisions proposed by the Executive to the NASS, we, in the PRP, agree that the NASS has the constitutional right to add or subtract from the budget proposals submitted to it by the Executive, and this has got the affirmation of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. But this power, we submit, does not entitle the NASS to allot billions and hundreds of millions to opaque constituency projects that Senator Agom Jaribe brought out during the budget debate.

“On whistle blowing, we find the action of the Senate President and the entire Senate not only morally wrong, but legally offensive.”