MEMBERS of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Regional Development on Tuesday questioned the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, over alleged lopsidedness in the Ministry’s 2024 budget.
The queries were raised when the Minister, accompanied by the Minister of State, Uba Maigari, appeared before the committee to defend the 2024 budget performance and present the 2025 proposal.
Lawmakers pointed out that the Ministry’s budget disproportionately favored Edo State, with 70% of the 2024 projects allocated to the state, to the detriment of other states meant to benefit from its projects.
The committee also criticized the Ministry’s failure to adhere to the federal character principle in the distribution of projects.
During the session, Hon. Matthew Nwogu of the House of Representatives demanded an explanation for the concentration of projects in Edo State.
“Mr. Minister, tell us why most of these 2024 budget projects are situated in Edo State,” Nwogu asked, expressing concern over the exclusion of other states under the Ministry’s purview.
Similarly, another member, Hon. Chinedu Ogar questioned why 70% of the proposed 2025 projects were also allocated to Edo State.
“Honorable 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?” Ogar queried.
Earlier, the Minister presented the 2024 budget performance, revealing that N20 billion was allocated for the Ministry’s capital budget.
He said of this amount, N2 billion was earmarked for zonal intervention projects by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who is from Edo State.
The Minister said that the Ministry’s total 2025 budget proposal stands at N28.9 billion, comprising N24 billion for capital projects, N2.7 billion for personnel costs, and N1.6 billion for overhead.
He explained that N2 billion of this amount was also reserved for zonal intervention projects for the House Leader.
He lamented that the funds allocated to the Ministry were insufficient to address the developmental needs of the five regional commissions under its mandate.
“The amount allocated to the Ministry for Regional Development is inadequate to meet the development needs of the regions,” the Minister said.
He highlighted challenges such as abandoned projects, delays in project completion, and contractor noncompliance due to price variations caused by limited funding.
The Minister detailed the scale of challenges facing the Ministry, noting that projects initially requiring N5 billion for completion now demand up to N70 billion due to inflation and delayed funding.
“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,” he said.