TENSIONS FLARE IN NASS AS IGP EGBETOKUN PRESENTS 2025 BUDGET

January 16, 2025

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A heated exchange erupted in the National Assembly on Thursday during the 2025 budget defence session as Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, presented the Nigeria Police budget.

Tensions rose when two lawmakers raised concerns that the IGP’s presentation did not align with the documents they had received.

The committee chairman’s attempt to allow the IGP to continue while the issue was resolved met strong resistance, leading to a heated shouting session. The dispute escalated, prompting a senator to stage a walkout.

Order was eventually restored, and the IGP resumed his presentation, reiterating his longstanding call for the NPF to be removed from the restrictive envelope budget system.

He argued that the current budgeting framework hampers the Force’s ability to effectively address national security challenges.

In response, several lawmakers including Senator Abdul Ningi stated that “envelop was never a legal entity and neither was it ratified by the National Assembly and should therefore continue as the normative.”

Other lawmakers threw their weight behind the idea of reviewing the budgeting process for the police, suggesting a shift towards a more flexible and needs-based funding model.