FG, show responsibility, rethink wasteful expenditure

Amid growing circles of poverty plaguing Nigerians, the disdain and alarm being expressed across the country over humongous sums of money budgeted for patently undeserving projects are most appropriate. A lot of money is being voted in the 2024 Budget for a few members of the Federal Government without regard for their adverse effects on public good and the masses.

For example, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organisation based in Nigeria, has recently urged the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, to use his leadership position “to promptly reject the plan by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to spend a staggering sum of N15 billion for the construction of a ‘befitting residence’ for the Vice President, Mr. Kashim Shettima. SERAP stated that the Senate has the constitutional duty to ensure that Mr. Wike’s proposed spending is entirely consistent and compatible with constitutional provisions, including his oath of office.

SERAP has also urged the Senate to assert its authority and constitutional oversight roles to reject the N2.8 billion on publicity for the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) and other proposed wasteful and unnecessary spending contained in the 2023 Supplementary Budget and the 2024 Budget proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

In the proposed budget, a scandalous sum of N15.961 billion has been allocated for international and domestic travel expenses for Tinubu, Shettima, and their respective hordes of aides at the Presidential Villa. A breakdown of the amount shows that Tinubu’s personal travel budget amounts to N7.630 billion, predominantly earmarked for foreign trips, with N6.992 billion specifically set aside for international travels and N638.535 million set aside for domestic travel.

In the same vein, Vice-President Shettima’s travel allowance amounts to N1.847 billion, split between N1.229 billion for foreign trips and N618.399 million for local travel expenditure. Also, the 2024 Budget has allocated N40.616 billion to the Villa Headquarters, with a substantial portion of N6.484 billion allocated to Villa Headquarters for international and local travel. The sum of N3 billion has also been allocated in the budget for the construction of offices for Special Advisers and Senior Special Advisers. Another N3 billion has been set aside for the acquisition, renovation, rehabilitation, and furnishing of the State House Annex. Notably, an extra N6 billion has been allocated for operational vehicles, with an additional N4 billion for operational vehicles and an extra N2 billion specifically earmarked for Special Utility Vehicles (SUV).

For President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, he is expected to get a total of N21 billion in next year’s budget. The sum will be spent renovating the Presidential Quarters in Dodan Barracks and the Vice President’s Lodge in Lagos, to overhaul the information management and communications facilities in the Presidency to meet modern standards and to provide vehicles for the staff of the Presidency

Meanwhile, Akpabio has been on a birthday jamboree. On December 9, 2023 he threw an extravagant public birthday party to mark his 61st birthday; with huge donations of N150 million by different senators at the party.

It is preposterous, unconscionable, and a grave betrayal of public trust that a country in debt and running a deficit, should allocate these scandalous sums of money for the benefit and comfort of Tinubu, Shettima, Akpabio, and Gbajabiamila. The proposed expenditures show that the Tinubu government does not have the interests of the suffering Nigerians at heart. Instead of budgeting to give Nigerian children the much-vaunted quality education or improve the health sector or energy sector, the government is budgeting heavy sums of money for the personal benefit of its principal officeholders. This is an embarrassment. It shows that the government is very insensitive to the plight of the suffering Nigerians.

Public office holders took the oath of office to serve the people and to give back to the country what the country has given to them. Unfortunately, they are sucking the country dry. As a poor country in deficit and running on a deficit budget, it does not make sense to squander a scandalous sum of N15 billion for the construction of “a befitting residence” for Shettima. And these, in a country where many cannot feed three times a day? Why does the Vice-President need a new residence when his official residence is still in functional existence?

Why budget a staggering sum of N10 billion, which can be used to build capital projects, for the renovation of the residence of government officials? It is shameful that many public officeholders, who took the oath of office to serve the citizens, are enriching themselves from the meager resources of the country at the expense of the people. Before now, members of the National Assembly went ahead to purchase luxurious Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) costing N160 million each despite public outcry against the purchase.

Now the same members of the National Assembly are poised to approve scandalous sums of money for the well-being of a few public officeholders. How can a country borrow money to fund a deficit budget? This newspaper had earlier warned that the profligacy in Tinubu’s government must stop. This warning bears repeating. Why should a country continue to subject her citizens to so much hardship?

It is disheartening that the citizens of Nigeria, who should ideally be the bedrock of a flourishing society, are finding themselves navigating a landscape marred by adversity amid reckless expenditure of the government. The pervasive and prolonged hardships that the people endure not only paint a bleak picture of a nation grappling with numerous challenges but depict failed hopes and dreams of the people. At the moment, the wasteful spending of the Tinubu government erodes public trust in the government. The citizens have become cynical about the government’s ability to address their needs and provide essential public services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure development. This is sad.

To mitigate the consequences of the humongous wasteful expenditure, it is essential for the Tinubu government to adopt responsible fiscal policies, ensure transparency and accountability in financial management, and prioritize investments that contribute to sustainable economic development and the improvement of the well-being of the people. A nation’s greatness is measured not only by its economic and political standing but also by the well-being and contentment of its people. Sound economic governance and prudent financial management can only make sense if they contribute to the overall well-being and contentment of the people of Nigeria.

Therefore, in the coming months, the Tinubu government needs to implement and adhere to strict budgetary controls and fiscal responsibility measures. It should identify and prioritize essential expenditures over non-essential ones. The paradox is that, having finished squandering the national treasury in wasteful expenditure, the government is now desperately looking for N35 billion to resuscitate the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company. Whereas if all the money being squandered in reckless expenditure were put to more judicious vote, they would have been more than enough to fix the Ajaokuta Steel Company.

To allay the anger of Nigerians, the Tinubu government should scrap the frivolous expenditures. The National Assembly should not approve these obscene proposed expenditures. It is unfortunate that if the government fails to heed public outcry on these questionable budgetary allocations, it will mean that Nigerian democracy has become an engine of fraud to create personal fiefdoms or to enrich public office holders.

This poses a threat to the country’s fragile democracy. Government is supposed to be a blessing to the people; not a curse as being showcased in Nigeria. The greatest threat to personal liberty is when a government, which is supposed to be a blessing to the people, becomes a curse. Public office holders in the country should not be sucking the people dry.

The Tinubu government should stop the reckless expenditure at all levels of government to save Nigeria from financial collapse. Unnecessary allowances, such as travel allowances, travel estacodes, wardrobe allowances, housing benefits, and others for members of the executive and legislature should be abolished. It is necessary to encourage frugal lifestyles among political office holders and to avoid extravagance, waste, and spending. The Tinubu government should implement the Oronsaye Report, which calls for reducing the cost of governance in Nigeria.