The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Suleiman on Wednesday said budget padding is legal.

Suleiman, who stated this while presenting the approved 2020 Appropriation Bill to Governor Bala Mohammed for assent described budget padding as a legislative adjustment which ensures fairness and equity for all within the budget.

His words: “As legislators, when the Governor presented the draft estimate of the budget, we studied the draft and in the process of working on the proposal, we made adjustments and moved some amounts to some other sectors, this is what some call as padding, anyway, padding is legal.”

The Speaker assured Governor Mohammed that the House would continue to work in synergy with the Executive arm in the implementation of the budget and other programmes so as to develop the state.

He also thanked the governor for personally signing the  letters of commendation sent to all the 31 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly.