Former Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called for transparency and accountability in the nation’s budgeting process, following the announcement of a significant increase in the 2025 budget.
Obi, who demanded a detailed breakdown of expenditures to justify the increased revenue expressed concern over the lack of clarity in the budgeting process, stating that Nigerians have a right to know how their resources are being allocated.
This comes barely 24- hours after President Bola Tinubu wrote to lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives requesting an upward adjustment in the Year 2025 appropriation bill by N4.5 trillion, making the “budget of restoration” rise from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion.
Aside from that, the former Anambra governor, urged the government to provide a comprehensive report on the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023, saying that Nigerians are still waiting to know how the budget was implemented.
Obi, in a statement shared through his social media handle on Friday, emphasized that this demand will enable citizens to track how their resources are being allocated and hold their leaders responsible for any mismanagement.
According to him, “While the sources of this revenue were detailed, there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase. For transparency and accountability sake Nigerians need to know how the resources generated from them are being allocated to ensure that they are judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people ”
“Such expenditures should be directed toward critical areas of development; education, healthcare, security, and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, Nigerians are still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023 to ensure that it has been properly utilized for the country’s future development and the well-being of its citizens”
” I call on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget of Renewed Hope budget. Transparency in this regard is crucial for ensuring accountability, learning from past budgets, and making informed decisions for the nation’s progress”
“As we work towards passing the Budget of Restoration for 2025, let us uphold openness, accountability, and the welfare of the Nigerian people. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and the future of our great nation”.
