Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Investment, denied knowing that over N200 billion had been added to her ministry’s 2023 budget.
WikkiTimes understands the red flag would have gone unnoticed had the senate not queried Sadiya about it.
In the 2022 budget, the ministry requested projects under the North East Development Commission and the National Social Safety Net Project, Sadiya explained, adding the money was not released. However, its 2023 budget was inflated to the tune of N206 billion as observed by the Senate Committee on Special Duties.
Compared with the original proposal in 2022, the budget was inflated ten times, WikkiTimes learnt.
Senator Elisha Abbo, a member of the committee raised concerns over the inflated budget saying it was indicated in the earlier submitted proposals.
Responding, Sadiya said: ”We have mentioned in the proposal what and what we are going to do in the 2022 budget in the North East Development Commission but the money wasn’t released and now the money has been doubled ten times in our 2023 budget.
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“We are going to enquire from the finance ministry why the money has been doubled despite the fact that it was not released and we will come back to tell you how it happened.”
However, the committee said it will invite Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed, to appear before the committee and explain how the sum of N206 billion was added to the humanitarian ministry’s budget.
