PAUL UTEBOR
Under the leadership of Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Federal Ministry of Interior has once again found a way to steal from the Federal Government of Nigeria, as it has been found wanting in budget padding and duplication.
It is important to note that Section 13(2)(b) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 requires that all budget estimates be based on reliable and consistent data to ensure the prudent management of the nation’s resources. The presentation of two distinct funding lines for a single project is a departure from these statutory requirements.
Also, Section 16 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 prohibits public officers entrusted with the receipt, custody, or management of public revenue or property from knowingly furnishing false statements or returns.
However, upon perusing the Ministry of Interior’s 2026 budget document, it was discovered that the ministry has a total allocation of ₦5,579,709,002 for the year 2026.
It was also discovered that, among other projects, the ministry earmarked the sum of ₦560,000,000 for the automation of services of the Federal Ministry of Interior and the sum of ₦245,000,000 for the acquisition of permanent office buildings for federal marriage registries in Benin, Edo State, and Ibadan, Oyo State.
Surprisingly, in a glaring display of budget padding, the ministry allocated different amounts for the same project twice in the document, using different descriptions to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.
The ministry budgeted ₦175,000,000 for the “Rehabilitation and Upgrade of the Ikoyi Marriage Registry.” The ministry again budgeted for the same project, coded ERGP27174247, on the same page of the document. This time it was described as the “Renovation and Upgrading of the Ikoyi Marriage Registry,” with code ERGP27231210, for the sum of ₦126,051,134.