The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has urged the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation (BoF), Mr. Tanimu Yakubu, to either immediately publish the detailed breakdown of the 2026 federal budget or resign.
The centre yesterday in a statement by its Lead Director, Eze Onyekpere, cited alleged failure to ensure timely public access to the document.
Onyekpere faulted what he described as the continued delay in uploading the approved 2026 budget to the Budget Office website more than two weeks after presidential assent.
According to him, Nigerians have a constitutional right to timely access to public finance information, and that withholding budget details undermines transparency and accountability.
“The Director-General of the BOF must upload the assented 2026 federal budget within 48 hours of this statement. This is not a request for favour; it is a statutory duty,” Onyekpere said.
The CSJ Lead Director said that failure to perform the responsibility would leave resignation as “the most reasonable option,” insisting that public office holders must be willing and able to discharge their duties effectively.
He also urged the Budget Office, alongside the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning and Finance, to urgently conduct a public budget briefing to explain policy priorities and allocations.
The centre cited Section 48(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, stressing that government must ensure “full and timely disclosure and wide publication” of all fiscal decisions.
He noted that the budget was signed into law on April 17, 2026, but had not yet been published on official platforms as of May 4, describing the delay as unacceptable.
He recalled that similar delays were recorded during the presentation of the budget proposal to the National Assembly, which was uploaded weeks after submission.
Responding to the CSJ’s stance, the Budget Office of the Federation (BoF) rejected allegations of negligence, insisting that due process is being followed in preparing the final document for public release.
In a statement, the BoF said the delay was due to necessary technical procedures, including harmonisation of final figures with legislative adjustments and alignment with implementation frameworks across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The office stressed that budget publication is not a “mechanical upload process” but a structured exercise requiring verification and quality assurance.
“At the outset, the BOF categorically rejects any insinuation of dereliction of duty. The Office operates within a structured fiscal governance framework that prioritises accuracy, verification, and standardisation,” the statement reads.
The BoF said that post-approval processes involve integrating fiscal data into implementation systems to ensure consistency and prevent errors in public reporting.
The office further stated that preparations for the publication of the 2026 budget are at an advanced stage and will be released through official channels in line with established procedures.
While acknowledging the role of civil society in promoting accountability, the Budget Office described calls for resignation as “disproportionate,” urging patience and understanding of institutional processes.
Discover more from TheTimes Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
