ICPC Makes Powerful Disclosure of Billions Padded in 2021, 2023 Budgets
- The ICPC has revealed that there were N400bn duplicated projects padded in the 2021 and 2022 budgets by ministries, departments and agencies
- The anti-graft commission also said that N49.9bn was earmarked for ghost workers' salaries in the ministries, departments and agencies in the first half of 2022
- The commission's boss, Bolaji Owasanoye, made the disclosure while having an interactive session with the senate committee on finance in preparation for the 2023 budget
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FCT, Abuja - The 2021 and 2022 budgets were padded with duplicated projects worth N400bn by the ministries, departments and agencies.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) made the disclosure on Thursday, September 15, Daily Trust reported.
Source: UGC
How much Nigeria loses to ghost workers?
The anti-graft agency also revealed that N49.9bn was earmarked for ghost workers' salaries in the first half of 2022.
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The commission's chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, revealed this during an interactive session with the senate committee on finance in preparation for the 2023 budget at the national assembly.
Owasanoye did not disclose the agencies involved but said duplicated projects worth N300bn were inserted into the 2021 budget while N100bn projects were discovered in 2022.
How to fight budget padding in Nigeria
The ICPC boss added that thorough scrutiny of approved budgets for various MDAs has saved the government from wasting billions of naira on fictitious projects.
He said:
“N300bn would have been wasted by the federal government on duplicated projects inserted into the 2021 budget and N100bn for the same purpose in the current fiscal year if not tracked and intercepted by ICPC.
“The same pre-emptive move saved the country from spending N49.9bn for salaries of ghost workers put on fictitious payroll by the fraudulent MDAs between January and June this year.
“Names of MDAs involved in project duplications running into intercepted billions of Naira and fictitious pay rolls are available and will be forwarded to the committee”
Full meaning of ICPC and its functions explained in detail
Legit.ng earlier reported that for quite a while now, Nigeria has been stigmatised by the international community due to the runaway corruption prevalent in the country.
This has seen the creation of numerous bodies and campaigns to try and slay the corruption monster, often to no avail.
Things began to change in 2000 with the creation of the ICPC. What is the full meaning of ICPC and its functions?
Source: Legit.ng
