As the controversy over the allegations of padding in the 2016 budget continues, documents from the approved 2016 budget have shown that the vote for the Directorate of State Security Service (DSS) differs from what was presented in the budget proposal.
In the budget proposal presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly in December, 2015, the budget of the DSS was put at N5,799,649,651, but in the approved budget, the figure was raised to N10,231,048,363, suggesting an increase of N4,431,398,712.
This revelation is particularly important in light of the budget padding fiasco currently rocking the House of Representatives.
It will be recalled that the former chairman of the appropriations committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has since July 21, leveled allegations of padding against some principal officers of the House.
The padding allegation which he also referred to as “senseless inclusions” were made against the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun, Majority Whip Ado Doguwa, and Minority Leader Leo Ogor.
He also alleged that 10 committee chairmen made changes of over N240Bn to the budget and in light of this newly discovered fact, some opine that perhaps, Hon. Aminu Jaji – who represents Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji federal constituency (Zamfara state) and heads the House Committee on Public Safety and Intelligence – is one of the committee chairmen he was referring to, but failed to name.
Jibril since making the allegation has been provided with security by the DSS, raising suspicion that the DSS is paying him back for helping to increase their budget. Some Analysts however believed Jibril is entitled to such privilege having become a whistle blower.
Since the budget documents shows that the DSS also benefited from padding of the budget, other analysts have called into question the propriety – or lack thereof – of their involvement in the case. This discovery may also lend credence to theories which suggest that the case against Speaker Dogara and the other principal officers holds no water.
Documents showing the figures for budget for the DSS as contained in the budget proposal and that of the approved budget are below:
