Table of Contents
- Accusation of Fund Mismanagement
- Town Hall Meeting Insights
- Details on Fund Allocation
- President's Statement on Budget Cuts
A member of the House of Representatives, Yusuf Gagdi, has accused the Federal Government of not releasing capital funds for constituency projects, stating that lawmakers have not received any financial allocation since the passage of the 2025 budget.
Gagdi, who represents the Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State, made this statement during a town hall meeting with his constituents.
He pointed out that despite President Bola Tinubu’s decision to increase the constituency project allocation for lawmakers from ₦125 million to ₦1 billion each, no funds have been disbursed to date.
“From January until now, no capital funds have been released to any legislator,” Gagdi stated.
“Even projects that belong to the Federal Government have not been financed.”
He clarified that lawmakers do not receive constituency funds directly; instead, they are allocated project funds that are distributed among all representatives from each state.
“No federal lawmaker receives ₦1 billion in cash. What we are given is an envelope for projects worth ₦1 billion, which is to be divided among legislators in the state,” he explained.
Gagdi noted that in states like Plateau, the ₦1 billion project envelope is shared among eight lawmakers, resulting in approximately ₦125 million each, whereas in states with more representatives, such as Kano, each legislator receives projects valued at around ₦25 to ₦30 million.
The lawmaker expressed disappointment that despite the announced increase in project allocation by the president, the funds have not materialized.
“When President Tinubu presented the 2025 budget, he raised our constituency intervention from ₦125 million to ₦1 billion each. For senators, he increased it to ₦2 billion. However, up to this moment, nothing has been released,” he said.
Gagdi further disclosed that President Tinubu recently informed the Speaker of the House of Representatives that there were no funds available to support the 2025 budget, which has resulted in a 50% reduction in lawmakers’ allocations.
“Last week, the President told the Speaker that there’s no money to prepare the 2025 budget. Consequently, he asked the Speaker to inform us that our ₦1 billion projects have been reduced to ₦500 million,” Gagdi added.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Yusuf Gagdi accuse the Federal Government of?
Yusuf Gagdi accused the Federal Government of failing to release capital funds for constituency projects since the 2025 budget was passed.
How much has the constituency project allocation been increased to?
The constituency project allocation for lawmakers has been increased from ₦125 million to ₦1 billion each.
What did President Tinubu communicate regarding the budget?
President Tinubu informed the Speaker of the House that there were no funds available for the 2025 budget, leading to a 50% reduction in lawmakers' project allocations.
