Budget Padding And Questionable Spending: How Bayelsa State Approved Billions For Non-Tangible Assets And Frivolous Items For The Ministry Of Youth

Secrets Reporters

Documents have exposed yet another scheme deployed by the Bayelsa State Government and its officials to siphon public funds through the use of budget padding and with no clear breakdown of what some expenses are meant for in the Bayelsa State Government 2025 approved budget.

It was discovered that while the Bayelsa State youth continue to struggle in abject poverty and hardship, the Ministry of Youth has earmarked the whopping sum of N710,000,000.00 for the acquisition of non-tangible assets, with no clear-cut description of what these non-tangible assets are.

In the 2025 approved budget of the Bayelsa State Government, the Ministry of Youth was allocated the sum of N1,479,063,061 with salary and wages pegged at N45,905,501.

Also, the Ministry budgeted the sum of N200,000,000 for local travel and transport: training, N50,000,000 for local travel and transport: others, international travel and transport: training was set at N60,000,000, while international travel and transport: others was set at N70,000,000.

Motor vehicle fuel cost and plant and generator cost were set at N10,000,000 each, amounting to a total of N20,000,000.

The document showed that the amount approved for the acquisition of non-tangible assets was N710,000,000, with no breakdown or description of what specific non-tangible assets are to be acquired by the Ministry. It was also shown that research and development amounted to N600,000,000 and anniversary celebrations were kept at N50,000,000.

The Bayelsa State Government, being heavily invested in its miscellaneous activities rather than being concerned with taking the youth out of the current economic hardship, budgeted the sum of N307,500,000 for its miscellaneous activities, with welfare packages pegged at N301,500,000. Subscription to professional bodies was set at N500,000 and the annual budget expenses and administration were set at N500,000.

In December 2024, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, signed the 2025 budget, tagged the Budget of Assured Prosperity, into law. The bill, initially presented by the Governor on 31st October with a proposed figure of N689.4 billion, was increased by N10.1 billion to N699.7 billion by the House of Assembly.