Lawmakers Decry Delays In Release Of Approved Capital Funds

A joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Interior has criticised the non-release of capital funds to the Federal Ministry of Interior, warning that it has stalled projects and weakened institutional performance.

The concerns were raised during a budget defence session in Abuja, where lawmakers questioned the ministry over delays in the implementation of its capital projects.

Chairman of the Senate Committee, Adams Oshiomhole, said members were displeased that capital allocations approved for the ministry in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years had yet to be released.

Briefing the committee, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the ministry recorded zero capital budget releases for two consecutive years.

He told lawmakers that none of the funds appropriated by the National Assembly for capital projects in 2024 and 2025 had been disbursed, resulting in a complete halt to implementation.

According to Mr Tunji-Ojo, performance on capital projects during the period under review stood at zero percent due entirely to the non-release of funds.

He added that several key infrastructure projects across agencies under the ministry had been affected.

Despite the funding constraints, he said the ministry had complied with financial regulations by consistently remitting its Internally Generated Revenue into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Lawmakers described the delay in releasing approved funds to ministries, departments and agencies as a recurring issue that undermines effective governance and service delivery.

They stressed that while the National Assembly fulfils its constitutional duty by approving budgets, the executive arm is expected to ensure timely releases to enable implementation.

The committee advised ministry officials to prioritise projects based on strategic importance to reduce the risk of abandoned projects nationwide.

Agencies that appeared before the panel included the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigerian Correctional Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Federal Fire Service.

The development has renewed concerns about budget implementation gaps and their implications for security and internal administration services.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji