Ex-lawmaker, Shehu Sani, explains how legislators pad budgets

The former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central senatorial district in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has opened up on the meaning of ‘budget padding’ and how members of the National Assembly contrive to take advantage of loopholes to pad the budgets.

Sani was reacting to the scandal currently rocking the National Assembly following Senator Abdul Ningi’s revelation that a whopping N3.7 trillion included in the 2024 Appropriation Act was not tied to any project.

While Ningi’s expose has earned him a three-months suspension from the Upper Chamber, Sani has opted to throw more light on how his former colleagues pad each budget.

Sani who wrote on his official X handle on Thursday, said he had to educate the public on what budget padding means, and how members of the National Assembly go about the act.

“Many people hear about padding but don’t actually know what it means.

“Paddling budget means tampering with the budget presented by the President or the MDAs by either adding figures to the costs of projects or inserting projects that were not in the original budget,” he wrote.

“For example, a Minister can say he wants to buy 5 Buckets for his Ministry at 5k each; magically, he will see 8 Buckets approved for him or 5 Buckets approved at the rate of 10k each or he will see Shovels and diggers added to his request for Buckets,” Sani pointed out.

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