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Interior Ministry Left Stranded as Capital Funds Fail to Materialise

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5 months ago

February 17, 2026

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By Gloria Ikibah

Members of the National Assembly have voiced strong concern over the failure to release capital funds earmarked for the Federal Ministry of Interior, warning that the situation is crippling project delivery and weakening institutional capacity.

At a budget defence session in Abuja on Tuesday, the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Interior expressed frustration that allocations approved for the ministry’s 2024 and 2025 capital budgets have yet to be disbursed.

The matter was raised during deliberations led by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, alongside colleagues from both chambers.

Briefing lawmakers, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed that the ministry had recorded no capital releases for two successive financial years. Despite receiving legislative approval for its capital expenditure in both 2024 and 2025, not a single tranche of the allocated funds has been made available.

The minister explained that the absence of funding has brought capital project performance to a complete standstill, with implementation effectively halted. Several strategic initiatives and infrastructure developments planned across agencies under the ministry have been left in limbo as a result.

He indicated that the ministry’s inability to execute approved projects stems entirely from the non-release of funds, rather than administrative lapses or planning shortcomings.

In spite of the financial constraints, the ministry has maintained what it describes as strict fiscal discipline. It has continued to remit all internally generated revenue into the Federation’s Consolidated Revenue Fund in line with statutory requirements, even as capital spending remains frozen.

Members of the joint committee expressed frustration over what they described as a recurring delay in the release of budgeted funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), warning that such bottlenecks undermine the effectiveness of government institutions.

The lawmakers stressed that the National Assembly performs its constitutional duty by approving budgets and expects the executive arm to ensure timely releases for implementation.

They, however, advised officials of the ministry to prioritise projects in line with available approvals and strategic importance, to prevent cases of abandoned projects across various parts of the country.

Agencies that appeared for the budget defence are the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Federal Fire Service.

The development has further heightened concerns over budget implementation gaps within the federal system and the implications for service delivery in critical security and internal administration institutions.

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Senator Wadada promises to deepen legislative ties, stop inactivity

Published

3 hours ago

July 9, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs, Senator Aliyu Wadada has promised to revive the committee’s activities after acknowledging concerns over its prolonged inactivity.

Wadada spoke on Thursday at the end of the committee’s meeting in Abuja.

Specifically, the chairman admitted that the committee had been underutilised, noting that it had met only once in the last three years.

He, however, said issues responsible for the situation had been identified during a closed-door session and would be addressed.

“Of course I feel concerned about it, but when we got into the details in a closed-door meeting, we got to know where the problems are, and they will all be taken care of. The committee will be as active as it should always be,” he said.

Commenting further, the chairman said the committee would focus on its core mandate of promoting and strengthening legislative relations between Nigeria’s National Assembly and parliamentary bodies across the world.

According to him, the committee will deepen engagement with regional and international legislative institutions, including the ECOWAS Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and other parliamentary organisations.

He disclosed that a new work plan had already been developed to guide the committee’s activities.

He added: “The direction is basically around the responsibilities of the committee, which is to promote and deepen legislative relationship within Nigeria and with other legislative bodies around the world”.

The chairman added that the committee’s first major activity would be a courtesy visit to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament in Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen inter-parliamentary cooperation.

SINL NIgeria Online reports that Senator Wadada assured that the public would be kept informed of the committee’s activities as the new work plan is implemented.

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Just in: FG jerks up salaries soldiers to N100k monthly

Published

3 hours ago

July 9, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that the minimum monthly salary of Nigerian soldiers has increased to N100,000 after the Federal Government reviewed their welfare package.

Musa made the disclosure during an interview with News Central ahead of his appearance on the NC Exclusive programme.

He said the adjustment was part of efforts by the government to improve the living conditions of military personnel.

Executive Branch

The former Chief of Defence Staff, however, said the country’s defence sector still requires more funding despite the improvement in soldiers’ earnings and welfare.

He stated that the current defence budget remains inadequate, adding that more resources are needed to effectively support the armed forces and their operations.

Musa explained that soldiers who previously earned about N49,000 monthly now receive at least N100,000 following the salary review carried out by the government.

The minister also called for tougher punishment for kidnappers, saying stronger measures are needed to reduce the increasing cases of abduction across Nigeria.