Legislative Consultant, Akinloye Oyeniyi has accused the Ministry of Finance of deliberately withholding capital expenditure releases while prioritising recurrent spending, a move he says is stalling development and hurting millions of Nigerians.

In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Saturday, Oyeniyi painted a troubling picture of Nigeria’s 2024 and 2025 budget performance, alleging that ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are being starved of capital funds needed for infrastructure and development projects, even as recurrent expenses such as salaries and administrative costs continue to be paid.

“See, this is what we are talking about. When you have a budget in this form, there’s no way the nation can move forward.”

He explained that the structure of Nigeria’s budget separates recurrent expenditure. “You know, normally you have the corporate side, you have the recurrent. Recurrent are those ones that make the MDA, that move the MDAs. That’s the day-to-day activities of the affairs of the MDA, whether it is ministry, whether it’s department, or it’s an agency.

But the capital aspect, the reworks, maybe construction and some other physical works.”

According to him, while the administration initially saw smoother budget implementation in 2023, problems began to surface in 2024. “But, you know, when this government came in, when this government came in 2023, the budget was moving fine. In 2024, we started having all these quote-unquote glitches, where we see more of a release of a recurrent budget, part of the budget, and the capital part of the budget has been withheld.”

He said the pattern has continued into 2025, citing public complaints from ministers. “You can see the Minister of Health and the Minister of Social, whatever, saying that only 36 million of his ministry’s budget, 2025 budget, was released out of how many billions. See, this is what we are talking about.”

Oyeniyi argued that paying salaries and administrative costs while abandoning capital projects undermines national progress. “You can be paying salaries, you can be buying vehicles, you can be buying computers, you can be buying vehicles and the rest. But the main aspect of the budget is not being attended to.”

He placed responsibility squarely on the Presidency and the Ministry of Finance. “So, the box is not stopping on anybody’s table apart from the president. Severally, we’ve heard the president telling the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to release, to do release, to do release.”

Oyeniyi dismissed earlier explanations that blamed the former Accountant General for delays. “We have new accountant general now, and these funds are not still being released. We don’t know what is actually happening.”

He maintained that the National Assembly has repeatedly summoned finance officials over the lack of capital expenditure. “You see the National Assembly every time inviting the Minister of Finance to come forward, to come and explain to them, why are we not having CAPEX? Why are we not having CAPEX? Why are we not having CAPEX? And this issue still continues to linger on, to the point where we are not having to consolidate budget and budget together. We have to be joining multiple budgets together for consolidation, repeat and reenactment.”

According to him, the root of the crisis lies within the Finance Ministry. “The problem is coming from the ministry. I have to tell you, it’s coming from the ministry. It’s not coming from anywhere. It’s from the ministry. It’s from the Ministry of Finance.”

He referenced protests by federal contractors who claim they are owed trillions of naira. “Yes. There was a particular day, the lawyers to the contractors actually also protested that they are not being paid by their clients, because federal government has not paid their clients. You understand me now?”

Oyeniyi alleged that the ministry is intentionally prioritising recurrent payments to avoid civil unrest. “I think the ministry is prioritizing the recurring expenditure over the capital expenditure, because you know, you can, why they are doing like that is, you know, when you hold on to the capital, it will not totally affect the workings of the government. It will only paint a bad picture of the government to the populace.”

He explained the logic he believes is driving the decision. “When you hold on to the capital, it will not totally affect the workings of the government. It will only paint a bad picture of the government to the populace. But when you hold on to the current, there is going to be a crisis.”

“If they deal with what is happening to the capital, if that should happen to the recurring, there is going to be chaos.”

Warning of possible unrest if salaries were delayed, he added, “They deal with what is happening to the capital, if that should happen to the recurring, there is going to be chaos.”

I’m alleging failure. It’s not a issue of misjudgment. I’m alleging failure.”

He said public frustration is growing and called for decisive leadership action. “Even personally, me, myself, I also join Nigerians that it should be taken off the job. We don’t know why the president is still keeping it.”

He went further to suggest that withholding capital releases undermines the government itself. “Why would he be holding on to cappers? Apart from the fact that it will not make Nigerians to enjoy dividends of democracy and dividends of the government that is in power, it’s actually, quote, somehow sabotaging the effort of the government.”

Oyeniyi also noted that the crisis extends beyond ministries to constituency projects of lawmakers. “Even the National Assembly member, the Zona Intervention Project, the ZIPs, are not being funded. Those projects are not being funded.”

He rejected claims that Nigerians are indifferent, insisting that both citizens and lawmakers have raised concerns. “I can tell you the situation is getting worse. We shouldn’t get used to it.”

For Oyeniyi, the solution is straightforward and urgent. “It’s our money now, and all these projects are for us. Let him release the money.” (Arise News)

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