Citing delays in executing the capital section of the 2024 budget, Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) boldly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the Nigerian Senate floor for prioritizing political ambition over national development.
Senator Dickson voiced his concerns at Tuesday’s plenary session that the federal government has not released funds for capital projects, even though it has fully disbursed the recurring expenditures intended for administrative operations and wages.
“It means the government has grounded,” he said. “Contractors who have completed government projects are still not getting paid. The people have not benefited from the budget that we all worked so hard to pass.
The senator expressed regret that the national budget’s development component, which has a direct impact on service delivery and infrastructure, has not been included. He said that many MPs were aware of the mounting annoyance, citing recent reports of rallies by irate contractors.
Dickson said these things while the Senate Committee on Appropriations was debating a resolution presented by Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West). The motion aimed to postpone the 2024 capital budget’s implementation date to December 31, 2025.
Dickson defended the move, although he took issue with the lack of a convincing justification for the postponed budget implementation. He proposed that the administration might be straying from its primary governance duties due to an overemphasis on political maneuvers and defections in the run-up to the general elections in 2027.
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He said, “Perhaps there is too much focus on politics and 2027.” “Perhaps there is too much focus on apprehending defectors, and nobody is considering the bigger picture.”
He cautioned that despite higher money when gasoline subsidies were eliminated, the legislative and executive branches are failing to fulfill their constitutional obligations.
“The problem isn’t the availability of funds. More money is going to state and local governments than ever before. So, why is there a delay?
Dickson demanded that the Senate Appropriations and Finance Committees launch a joint investigation into the issue immediately and report their findings within a week.
“We require solutions. To prevent this from happening again, these committees ought to conduct a fact-finding mission and submit their findings to the Senate.
Growing worries about the Tinubu administration’s governance goals and the practical effects of postponed infrastructure expenditure on both citizens and contractors are reflected in the senator’s remarks.
