Kebbi Senator, Maidoki alleges secrecy in 2024 budget process, fears Akpabio-led Senate may be losing integrity

Senator representing Kebbi South Senatorial District, Garba Maidoki has alleged secrecy in the process of the 2024 national budget which was passed by the joint Chambers before its assent by President Bola Tinubu.

In a recent interview with BBC Hausa in London, Maidoki who is in the 10th Senate on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, insisted that the process of the N28.7 trillion budget was not transparent enough, explaining that the Godswill Akpabio-led Senate leadership operated without fairness and transparency in the approval process.

Senator Maidoki’s outburst would be the second in less than a month that the leadership of the Senate was accused of compromise and padding of budget.

CAPITAL POST recalled that Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi accused the Senate President of budget padding which generated a heated debate that led to his 3-month suspension from the Chamber.

According to him, first timers to the Senate did not have access to crucial details in the process of computing the 2024 budget, stating that, “crucial details were withheld from newer members of the Senate, leaving them uninformed about the contents and allocation of funds within the budget.”

“The Senate and, by extension, the National Assembly, is increasingly losing its independence and voice to speak to the Executives,”

Senator Maidoki lamented, highlighting the erosion of the legislature’s autonomy, emphasizing that the National Assembly should serve as a robust check on the Executive branch but has instead become subservient to its whims and caprices.

He expressed frustration at being presented with only a summary of relevant figures, limiting their ability to scrutinize and contribute meaningfully to the budget discussions.

Despite attempts by himself and other concerned Senators to address these issues within the red chamber, Maidoki disclosed that their efforts were stifled by various constraints, including warnings from committee leaders not to interfere with the budget document.

He cited the lack of unity among Senators, driven by personal and political interests, as a major hindrance to enacting meaningful change within the legislative body, adding that it has led to pervasive atmosphere of distrust among the lawmakers.

He stressed that the upper legislative Chamber cannot fair well, if it cannot recover its much needed autonomy.

He insisted: “The 2024 budget was passed without proper scrutiny or corrections, echoing the sentiments of many of his peers who were left in the dark regarding the allocation of funds.

He emphasized the need for urgent action to restore transparency and accountability within the National Assembly to prevent further erosion of its integrity and credibility.