CISLAC Warns Against Budget Padding, Demands Transparency In 2025 Budget
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised alarm over irregularities in Nigeria’s 2025 Federal Budget of Restoration, urging the government to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with national priorities.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), CISLAC condemned budget padding and questioned allocations for defunct ministries such as the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Sports. These, the group noted, reflect poor planning and undermine public trust.
Highlighting lapses in constituency projects, CISLAC criticised legislators for allocating resources without legal frameworks for monitoring or adherence to public procurement laws. Such practices, it warned, fail to meet citizens’ real needs.
Citing the Auditor-General’s report, the organisation revealed financial irregularities of over ₦197.72 billion across MDAs from 2020 to 2021, calling on the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committees to recover misappropriated funds and uphold accountability.
CISLAC also called for anti-corruption agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, to investigate and address fraudulent practices in the budget process.
It urged the National Assembly to conduct the process with integrity, ensuring allocations are credible and serve Nigerians’ interests.
“The 2025 budget must reflect the aspirations of Nigerians, not be a tool for fraud,” the statement emphasised, demanding a fiscal plan that delivers tangible benefits to the populace.
