APC’s Anti Corruption Crusade Is A Joke And A Prank, Says NCP

The National Conscience Party (NCP), says the so-called anti-corruption crusade of the current APC national government is a big practical joke and prank. This was disclosed in a press release issued by the party on the 20th of October.
The political organization’s claim is hinged on the refusal of the Lagos State government to open up the details of its 2017 budget for scrutiny. The statement referenced an investigative report by Premium Times- an online newspaper published on the 4th of October, in asserting its claims. The report states that the budget is the biggest ever approved since Lagos became a state in 1967.
The 813 billion naira appropriation, earmarked N507.816 billion for capital expenditure and N305.182 billion for recurrent expenditure.
According to the NCP release, the state government has refused to make the breakdown of the budget available to the public, because the Ambode regime is looting the state treasury and accumulating huge debts.
NCP says throughout the 18 years of Nigeria as a fourth republic, the Lagos state budget has never undergone an independent evaluation. The press statement claims the All Progressive Congress led government will not make the figures public because Nigerians will be alarmed.
“The reason why the details are kept secret is clear. The APC knows that the figures would alarm the public the way the figures of the immediate past governor’s spending alarmed the public that is Governor Fasola. Fasola spent N70 million on setting up a website and N150 million to sink a borehole to mention a few,” the press release declared.
This year was a historic year for financial openness in public institutions. Civil society pressure groups succeeded in getting the National Assembly to open up the details of their 2017 allocation. The NCP demand that the Lagos State budget details be made available for public viewing is bound to yield results soon enough. As the media and financial advocacy groups continue to collaborate on corruption and transparency, more public finance data will continue to get released.


Source: Sahara Reporters