The Budget Office of the Federation (BoG) has dismissed claims circulating in the public space that the North East Development Commission (NEDC) operates a ₦246 billion budget meant solely for the payment of salaries, describing the allegation as false, misleading and unfounded.
The Director-General of the Budget Office, Dr. Tanimu Yakubu, made this known in a press release issued in Abuja on Thursday, noting that the claim reflected a poor understanding of how the Federal Government’s budgeting system operates.
According to Yakubu, the assertion wrongly suggests that a single agency independently controls such a large sum exclusively for recurrent expenditure, particularly personnel costs.
“This assertion is misleading, inaccurate, and rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s budgeting framework,” he said.
He explained that the Federal Government’s budget is structured in a transparent and detailed manner, with clear distinctions between personnel costs, overheads and capital expenditures, all of which are subject to legislative approval and oversight.
Yakubu stressed that allocations to agencies such as the NEDC are not lump-sum figures for salaries but are broken down across various budget lines to cover programmes, projects and operational needs aimed at achieving their statutory mandates.
He added that the NEDC’s primary responsibility is the coordination and execution of development and humanitarian interventions in the North East, including infrastructure reconstruction, social services, livelihood support and other capital-intensive projects, rather than salary payments alone.
The Budget Office boss further noted that personnel costs across government agencies are centrally regulated and captured under approved budget ceilings, making it impossible for any single commission to run an inflated salary-only budget without detection.
Yakubu urged members of the public to seek accurate information from official government sources and avoid spreading unverified claims that could undermine public confidence in national institutions.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Budget Office to transparency, accountability and proper public financial management, assuring Nigerians that all federal budgetary allocations are subject to due process, monitoring and audit.
