Senator Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) has raised alarm over the Tinubu administration’s failure to implement the capital component of the 2024 national budget, accusing the federal government of focusing more on political manoeuvring ahead of the 2027 elections than on governance.
Speaking during Tuesday’s Senate session, Dickson criticised the administration for not releasing funds earmarked for infrastructure and development projects, even though the recurrent budget covering salaries and administrative expenses has been fully disbursed.
“Government has grounded, that’s what it means,” Dickson said.
“Contractors who have done their jobs and committed their resources cannot be paid. The benefits of the budget… have not gotten to the people.”
He said the situation has left many contractors stranded, with some resorting to protests over unpaid dues despite completing assigned projects. Dickson pointedly questioned the priorities of the executive arm:
“Maybe there is too much concentration on receiving defectors all across the country, and people are not looking at the big picture… The business of the Nigerian people is not moving forward.”
His comments came during debate on a motion by Senator Solomon Adeola, Chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee, seeking to extend the capital budget implementation to December 31, 2025. While Dickson backed the extension, he criticised Adeola for not providing compelling justification for the delay in budget execution.
Dickson called for urgent investigation by the Senate Committees on Appropriation and Finance to determine why capital projects are stalling despite the country’s increased revenue inflow, particularly after the removal of fuel subsidies.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) echoed Dickson’s concerns, warning that the executive’s inaction was eroding public confidence.
“The country is financially bleeding,” Abdullahi said.
“People are losing confidence in the capacity of the government to deliver on its own projects and promises.”
The Senate is expected to further deliberate on launching a formal inquiry into the reasons behind the delayed capital budget disbursement.
