During a conversation with journalists following a Thanksgiving ceremony organized by the Ebonyi State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Stanley Okoro Emegha, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu stated that the National Assembly was responsible for the increase in the 2024 budget.

He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu should not be held accountable for the budget adjustment.

As a ranking member of the Appropriation Committee, Kalu clarified that it was the National Assembly, not the President, that raised the budget to N28.2 trillion. He explained that the decision to increase the budget was influenced by the need to conduct a census, which had already incurred significant expenses that were not initially included in the budget.

According to Kalu, various bodies, including the National Population Commission (NPC), had provided updated figures and data that necessitated the budget adjustment. The NPC had invested substantial funds into the upcoming census, which was crucial for accurate population data. Failure to conduct the census would result in a loss of two hundred and eighty-nine billion naira for Nigeria, hence the need to allocate additional funds for this purpose.

Kalu clarified that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not involved in the decision to increase the budget. He emphasized that he, along with other members of the National Assembly, had been actively working on the budget and that the adjustment was made based on the updated information provided by relevant bodies.

In summary, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu attributed the increase in the 2024 budget to the National Assembly’s consideration of essential factors such as the need for a census and the associated costs. He emphasized that President Tinubu was not responsible for the budget adjustment and that it was important to understand the circumstances surrounding the decision.