Doguwa Speaks On Tinubu Presenting Empty Budget Box To National Assembly

The Northern Caucus chairman in the House of Representatives, Ado Alhassan Doguwa, has countered his colleague, Yusuf Shitu Galambi, for accusing President Bola Tinubu of deceiving the national assembly by presenting an empty sectoral allocation breakdown box during his budget presentation on Wednesday, November 29.

Naija News reported that Galambi, while responding to questions in an interview with BBC Hausa, said there was no sectoral allocation of funds to education, health, and other sectors in Tinubu’s speech.

The lawmaker noted that there is no doubt that Tinubu read his budget speech to them, but they did not see the budget statement in the box.

In a statement on Friday titled “Stop the Misrepresentation of Facts: We Did Not Receive Empty 2024 Budget Box from President Tinubu,” Doguwa said the speculation is unfounded.

According to Doguwa, people are unaware that the President had submitted a flash drive of the whole budget before his presentation to the joint chambers.

He added that the report of Tinubu presenting an empty box was perpetrated by mischief makers and opposition members who would always criticise the government with or without reasonable cause.

He said, “I write in response to the mischievous insinuations that Mr. President laid empty boxes before the National Assembly on the day he presented the Appropriation Bill 2024.

“What people don’t know is that Mr President had earlier submitted a flash drive as a soft copy of the 2024 Budget, which is now being printed out in hard copies, and as usual, brought one single hard copy of the budget to the floor.

“Be that as it may, senators and honourable members were satisfied and were conveniently guided by the verbal presentation and the way Mr President dissected the budget and gave a specific analysis of the funds allocated to the various sectors of the economy. I, therefore, want to say that any media or mischievous reports insinuating that Mr. President laid empty boxes were not true and unfounded.

“Such reports are only being perpetrated by mischief makers and opposition members who would always criticise the government with or without reasonable cause. I further wish to urge Nigerians to disregard such insinuations and condemn the perpetrators, as they are enemies of Nigeria’s progress.”