Bello El-Rufai, representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has strongly criticized Nigerian government agencies for their wasteful spending practices during a National Assembly session on Thursday.
El-Rufai particularly targeted the recurring pattern of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) allocating funds for new vehicles and computers in their annual budgets. “We cannot continue to allow these budget allocations for MDAs to be spent on vehicles that do not expire,” he emphasized during the session.
The young legislator expressed frustration over what he sees as unnecessary annual expenditures. “We budget for vehicles every year. We budget for utensils every year,” he noted, urging for a more careful examination of ministry budgets, especially when agencies have made similar purchases in the previous year.
El-Rufai called for a complete halt to these practices, pointing out that items like computers and furniture don’t require yearly replacement. He emphasized the need for fiscal responsibility, particularly in light of ongoing tax reform efforts, stating, “We can’t be asking Nigerians [to pay more taxes] while we are not cutting anything.”
This criticism comes as the Nigerian Senate passed the second reading of the 2025 Appropriation Bill, totalling N49.7 trillion. The budget, presented by President Tinubu and dubbed “The Restoration Budget: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity,” includes N34 trillion in revenue projections and N15 trillion for debt servicing. If passed, it would become Nigeria’s largest budget in naira terms.
The Senate has adjourned its plenary session until January 14, 2025, for the Christmas and New Year break.

Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.