‘Why Is 70% Of Budgetary Provisions For Edo?’ Lawmakers Confront Minister Over Bias

 

Members of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Regional Development have raised concerns regarding what they allege is a disproportionate budgetary allocation by the Ministry of Regional Development to Edo State.

The Minister of Regional Development, Hon. Abubakar Momoh, who hails from Edo State, was questioned during a budget defense session on Tuesday at the National Assembly over the Ministry’s 2024 budget performance and its 2025 budget proposal. Lawmakers pointed out that a staggering 70% of the projects to be executed by the Ministry in the proposed budget were focused on Edo State.

The committee also accused the Ministry of neglecting the federal character principle, which mandates an equitable distribution of federal projects across all states.

Hon. Matthew Nwogu, a member of the House of Representatives, directly confronted the Minister, asking, “Mr. Minister, tell us why most of these 2024 budget projects are situated in Edo State?” He expressed concern that states outside Edo were being left behind.

Hon. Chinedu Ogar also joined in, asking, “Honourable Minister, I am happy that you are a product of the National Assembly. However, my constituents are unhappy with this budget because it negates the constitutional principle of federal character. About 70% of your projects are located in Edo State. Why?”

In his defense, Minister Momoh provided an overview of the Ministry’s 2024 budget performance, disclosing that it had received a capital budget of N20 billion, with N2 billion allocated specifically for zonal intervention projects championed by House Leader Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who is also from Edo State.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the Ministry’s proposed total budget stood at N28.9 billion, with N24 billion earmarked for capital projects, N2.7 billion for personnel costs, and N1.6 billion for overhead expenses. Additionally, another N2 billion was allocated for zonal intervention projects under Prof. Ihonvbere’s purview.

Despite the backlash, Minister Momoh defended the Ministry’s budget, lamenting that the funds allocated were insufficient to address the developmental needs of the five regional commissions under its mandate. He explained that inflation and delays in funding were major obstacles to executing projects, often leading to abandoned projects and contractor non-compliance.

“When we took over, the first assignment I gave was to assess ongoing projects. It was alarming to find that projects requiring N5 billion or less had escalated to N70 billion. Contractors have since refused to return to sites until their debts are paid,” Momoh revealed, highlighting the challenges that had slowed down the Ministry’s progress.

The confrontation brings to the forefront the ongoing tension over the equitable distribution of resources and projects among Nigeria’s states, particularly when the leadership of key ministries has a direct link to specific regions.