2027 Politics Taking Precedence Over Budget – Senator Dickson Criticizes Tinubu

On the Nigerian Senate floor, Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) boldly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for prioritizing political ambition over national development, pointing to the capital element of the 2024 budget’s implementation delays.

While the federal government has fully disbursed the recurring expenditures intended for salaries and administrative operations, Senator Dickson voiced worry during Tuesday’s plenary session that monies for major projects have not been released.

“Simply put, the government has grounded,” he said. “Government contractors who have completed work are still not being paid. People have yet to reap the rewards of the budget that we all labored so hard to pass.

The senator bemoaned the fact that the national budget’s development component, which has a direct impact on service delivery and infrastructure, has not been altered. According to him, many MPs were aware of the mounting annoyance, citing recent reports of rallies by irate contractors.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairman, Senator Solomon Adeola (Ogun West), sponsored the resolution on which Dickson spoke during debates. By passing the motion, the 2024 capital budget’s execution date was extended to December 31, 2025.

Dickson attacked the lack of a convincing justification for the postponed budget rollout even though he supported the proposal. Before the general elections in 2027, he said, the administration might be getting sidetracked from its primary governing duties by an overemphasis on political maneuvers and defections.

“Perhaps there is an excessive amount of focus on politics and 2027,” he stated. Perhaps too much focus is being placed on apprehending defectors, and nobody is considering the wider situation.

Notwithstanding the fact that income has increased since gasoline subsidies were eliminated, he cautioned that both the legislative and executive branches are failing to fulfill their constitutional obligations.

The problem does not lie in the availability of funds. More money is going to state and local governments than in the past. What is causing the delay, then?

Dickson demanded that a joint investigation be conducted by the Senate Committees on Appropriation and Finance, and that the results be presented within a week.

We require clarification. These committees ought to conduct an investigation and submit their findings to the Senate in order to prevent a recurrence of this circumstance.

Concerns about the governance priorities of the Tinubu administration and the practical effects of postponed infrastructure expenditure on both citizens and contractors are clearly evident in the senator’s remarks.