SDGs office denies inserting N33bn allocation in budget

The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals on Friday refuted claims of inserting N33bn as additional allocation for the agency in the 2020 budget.

It said in a statement issued in Abuja that the said amount or any other allocation aside from the duly appropriated figure was not known to the SDG office.

“The office also wishes to state that aside from the opportunity to defend its budget proposal before the relevant committees at the National Assembly as prerequisites for the passage of budget, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs has no power whatsoever over the review of the budgetary proposal,” the office stated.

It noted that the responsibility of the office over the years had been limited to implementing the budget as duly approved and signed by the President, subject to the release of funds appropriated for the different sub-heads.

The SDG office said the insinuation was an attempt to drag it into unnecessary controversies.