The North East Cooperative Stakeholders Forum has queried the rationale behind Nigeria’s 2025 budgetary increase from N49.7 trillion to N54.2 trillion presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The chairman of the forum, Barrister Jalo Abdullahi noted that the 2025 federal budget was deliberately increased without recourse to any explanation either from the executive or legislative arms of the government.
It could be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on 24th January, 2025 presented the Federal Government 2025 budget of N47. 9 trillion ($36.4 billion), with a significant increase from the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion.
The chairman of the forum, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, explained that he learnt about the federal government’s 2025 budget increment from N47.9 trillion to N54.2 trillion from his friend, a human rights activist, Mr Rafsanjani.
Jalo while speaking with LEADERSHIP yesterday said that as demanded by his friend, Nigerians need adequate explanation about the budget increment, especially the sectoral allocation or for what reason (s) it all came about, taking into cognisance that it is public funds.
“Our forum wants an explanation on the budget increment and the loans the government was taking to fill the budget deficits.
What the money could be used for, even in the 2024 federal budget, due to the inadequate foreign reserve, many approved estimates were not implemented.”
On the Mambilla dam project which forced the Nigerian former presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari to testify before the ICC in Paris, the forum advised President Bola Tinubu to beware of financial machinations being catapulted by his administration.
“The Presidency should be forewarned that if such trends continue unabated, it would reach to a level where one’s door could be knocked for picking up someone on issues of financial misappropriation or scam for onward journey to Qantanovo Bay.”
He further stated, “We are not going against the budget increment, but to ensure that the monies being locally generated through such financial risk truly benefits the citizenry.”
The Forum also felt the need to advise the ECOWAS dissenting countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali to think twice about their action of introducing to their countries new uniformed currency, saying the action is retrogressive to them.
“We analysts in Nigeria felt the need to draw the attention of these three countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali that it would be better for them to remain in the ECOWAS. Why are we saying this is that the attacks would be too much on them,” he added.
He said, “Niger doesn’t have a Central Bank, they do not give contracts to develop their country, they have no right to build schools. The wealth Niger have, they have enough uranium, now they have gotten oil, they cannot utilize it, it is the French Government that is utilizing it”.
Jalo emphasized that, “We are of the view that Nigerian Government should be patience, seek ECOWAS currency, just like the new one which is about to be introduced. Let them go back to ECOWAS, let them use their reserve, ECOWAS will defend them in terms of whatever they need.
“The condition ECOWAS would want to bring is that they should go back to civilian rule, it’s not for the sake of ECOWAS, it’s for the people of Niger to decide. It’s not ECOWAS, ECOWAS could not dictate to them how they can run their country. So, in this vein, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, we are advising the governments in power to look inward in doing the needful”.
“We in the North East Cooperative Stakeholders Forum, we are in support of that because we have cooperators in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. And more so, we have 11th 12th of February 2025, which is our International Cooperative Day, which we are going to hold in Damaturu, Yobe state. We want them to participate in the celebration.”
