This was revealed by BudgIT Foundation, Nigeria's civic tech organisation which promotes transparency and foster active citizen engagement for institutional reforms and equitable society.
The National Assembly in its continued budget padding spree of the 2024 Fiscal Appropriation Act, inserted over N42 billion in the Federal College of Horticultural Technology, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe 2024 proposed budget.
This was revealed by BudgIT Foundation, Nigeria's civic tech organisation which promotes transparency and foster active citizen engagement for institutional reforms and equitable society.
BudgIT report revealed that the Federal College of Horticultural Technology, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe State in Northeastern Nigeria submitted a proposed budget of N368million to the National Assembly for 2024.
However, BudgIT noted that the National Assembly approved N42.7 billion for the college.
By approving N42.7 billion for the college against the N368 million it proposed, the lawmakers padded the budget with a margin of N42.332 billion, representing over 5000% increment.
According to the organisation, the National Assembly inserted 12 projects running into billions and hundreds of millions, all outside the constitutional mandate and jurisdiction of the college.
BudgIT in a short statement on its social media account on Tuesday said, “From N368 million to N42.7 billion!!!
“For the 2024 fiscal year, the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, initially proposed a budget of N368 million. However, the National Assembly approved N42.7 billion.
“A difference of N42 billion!!! @nassnigeria, kindly do the right thing and uphold integrity during the 2025 budget review.”
📢 From N368 million to N42.7 billion!!!
For the 2024 fiscal year, the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin-Kowa, Gombe, initially proposed a budget of N368 million. However, the National Assembly approved N42.7 billion.
A difference of N42 billion!!! @nassnigeria, kindly… pic.twitter.com/5qzxnISsmH
— BudgIT Nigeria (@BudgITng) January 14, 2025
The Federal College of Horticultural Technology is a government-owned tertiary institution of learning located at Dadin Kowa, Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe State.
The college is a research institution under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria with the mandate to train and improve manpower in Horticultural and Landscaping Technology, and award a National Diploma and Higher National Diploma to its graduates.
However, the National Assembly inserted supply and installation of street lights, construction of boreholes, distribution of motorcycles, among other projects in communities, most of which in other states, to the college.
The inserted projects include supply and installation of solar street lights in federal constituencies in Osun, Edo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Oyo, Lagos and Kogi states with N1,600,000,000 budget allocation; construction of blocks of classrooms, solar street lights, boreholes and provision and installation of transformers in selected federal constituencies in Nigeria with N1,500,000,000 budget allocation.
Supply and installation of solar powered boreholes in federal constituencies, Kebbi, Oyo, Katsina, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Edo states with a budgetary allocation of N1,000,000,000; supply of Mini Buses in some selected areas of Saala Orile, Ibatefin and Orelope for human capital development batches 1-10 with N1,000,000,000 budget allocation.
Construction/rehabilitation of some selected community primary (not specified either primary schools or primary healthcare centers) across South West with a budget allocation of N1,000,000,000; construction/furnishing of community commercial school Maun and Mayigi Community High School Ilashe [Lot 1-2] with N1,000,000,000 budgetary allocation.
Others are provision and installation of solar powered street lights for rural farming communities of K. Kusar/Shani federal constituency with N600,000,000 budget; installation of solar street lights for communities in Bassa, Kogi State with a budget allocation of N500,000,000; supply and distribution of Bajaj tricycles for unemployed persons for mass transportation within selected areas of Lagos with N500,000,000 budget.
Construction of solar-powered boreholes in various locations in Sokoto and Bauchi states with a budgetary allocation of N495,926,518; construction of classrooms in various locations in Kano State with N495,926,518 and supply of assorted food items for distribution as palliative across Maiduguri metropolitan federal constituency, Borno State with a budgetary allocation of N200,000,000.