Former Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon has described budget padding as a strange phenomenum even as he painted a good picture of how the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, his then minister of finance carefully handled the nation’s budget in his regime.
“We had the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo in-charge of our finance during my time and he taught us to survive without borrowing. Such (budget padding) should stop, there is no point doing that.”
Dr. Gowon spoke with news men on Wednesday at the Health Caravan and Award Ceremony for the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, who was conferred with the title of Royal Ambassador for Hepatitis Advocacy in Nigeria, by the Seham Health Care Foundation.
Gowon wondered why budget padding has become the order of the day in Nigeria, emphasizing that such never occurred during his administration.
“If that is true; If anybody is doing that, the person should be checked and stopped to ensure that such does not occur in the future. We didn’t do it during my time.”
The former Head of State advised President Muhammadu Buhari to firm up the ailing economy in order to alleviate the suffering of the masses. [myad]
