2016 budget failed integrity test senate
You're referring to the controversy surrounding the 2016 budget in Nigeria.
In 2016, the Nigerian Senate passed a budget of N6.06 trillion, which was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari in December 2015. However, the budget was later found to have several discrepancies and irregularities, which led to allegations of corruption and lack of transparency.
In June 2016, the Senate Committee on Appropriation, led by Senator Danjuma Goje, conducted an investigation into the budget and discovered that several items had been inserted into the budget without the knowledge of the National Assembly. These items included:
- N10 billion for the construction of a new office complex for the National Assembly.
- N2.5 billion for the purchase of vehicles for the National Assembly.
- N1.5 billion for the renovation of the National Assembly complex.
- N500 million for the purchase of furniture for the National Assembly.
The committee also found that several ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) had been allocated more funds than they had requested. For example, the Ministry of Defence was allocated N1.3 trillion, which was more than double the amount it had requested.
The discovery of these irregularities led to widespread criticism of the budget and the government. Many Nigerians felt that the budget was not transparent and that the government was not committed to fighting corruption.
In response to the controversy, President Buhari ordered an investigation into the budget and the National Assembly. The investigation was conducted by a committee led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and it found that there had been widespread corruption and irregularities in the budget process.
The controversy surrounding the 2016 budget led to a number of reforms in the budget process in Nigeria. The government established a new budget office to oversee the budget process and to ensure that the budget is more transparent and accountable. The National Assembly also established a new committee to oversee the budget process and to ensure that the budget is more transparent and accountable.
Overall, the controversy surrounding the 2016 budget highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the budget process in Nigeria. It also highlighted the need for the government to take a more proactive approach to fighting corruption and to ensure that the budget is more transparent and accountable.