Peter Obi expresses concern over N54.2 trillion budget, questions Tinubu’s transparency, accountability

• He pointed out that there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase in the 2025 national budget

Erstwhile presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, says the president Bola Tinubu-led government must come clean on the enlargement of the size of the 2025 budget with the addition of over N4 trillion.

Tinubu had on Thursday, in separate letters to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, increased the appropriation bill for the 2025 fiscal year from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion.

Reacting to the development, Obi said the federal government must tell Nigerians how the resources generated are being allocated for the sake of transparency and accountability.

He pointed out that there is no corresponding breakdown of expenditures to justify the increase in the 2025 national budget.

This, he said, was to ensure that they were judiciously spent on the country’s development and the well-being of the people.

In a statement issued on Friday via his X handle, the former Anambra state Governor said Nigerians were still waiting for a detailed account of the execution and expenditures of the Renewed Hope budget passed in December 2023.

Obi further called on the National Assembly to seize this opportunity to obtain and make public the full details of the 2024 budget.

He said: “Yesterday, I read about the increase in the Budget of Restoration to N54 trillion due to increased revenue.

“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. -PO”