Daniel Bwala, a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, served as spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council in the 2023 general election. In this interview with TheCable’s TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI, he shares his thoughts on the budget padding scandal rocking the national assembly and other issues of national interest.

TheCable: The national assembly is currently enmeshed in a budget padding scandal. Abdul Ningi, the lawmaker who raised the alarm, alleged that the N28.7 trillion 2024 budget being implemented by President Bola Tinubu was done underground, with an added sum of N3 trillion. What do you make of this at a time when Nigerians are going through tough times?

BWALA: Budget padding means altering the budget, either by adding or subtracting. Doing that is not illegal. If you look at the United States of America, when George W. Bush, in the wake of 9/11, came to Congress with a request of $48 billion to execute the war on terrorism, Congress multiplied it and gave him $80 billion. That is an alteration of the budget or padding because what the president asked for was $40 billion, but he got $80 billion.

Aside from lawmaking and oversight, the national assembly also has the power to make approvals because the law says that they have the power of the purse. In US politics, it indicates the authority of Congress to control public spending. They are the ones that approve and make appropriations for the executive.

If you remember, when the president presented the budget, they added N1.2 trillion to it. They have the power to do that if they realise that the work needed to be done requires more funding. In terms of subtracting from the budget, if they feel that the budget is overblown based on their findings, they can subtract. For example, if you put the price of a product at N100 and they find out that it is N50, they can reduce the amount from N100 to N50. So, they have the power to add or subtract from the budget.

They also have the power to add for themselves because their budget is done by the executive. If they feel the amount budgeted for them is not sufficient, they can add to it. It has always been a cooperation from both arms of government. Where the problem comes is if, for example, there is underlying money kept somewhere but does not have a definition of the intended project or location.

TheCable: The ACF, SERAP and some other Nigerians have condemned Ningi’s suspension, describing it as illegal. What is your perspective on this?
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https://www.thecable.ng/interview-budget-padding-by-national-assembly-isnt-illegal-says-bwala

Which opposition?

ldibe:
Good one

Then people should stop calling it padding since it is lawful so that the opposition can finally rest

Dem agbadorian regime don employ this one. Soon dem go send am make he say drug pushers are not criminals but businessmen.

COMRADES Bwala, Omokri and FFK are starving, they need some help, please even if it is a plate of food you have kindly donate it to them
Thank you very much and may God bless you as you do so