- Bello El-Rufai condemned federal agencies for wasting public funds on unnecessary items like utensils and vehicles, urging the Speaker of the House to prioritise budget cuts
- El-Rufai emphasised the need for MDAs to reduce spending on non-essential items, such as computers and furniture, to cut costs and restore public trust in government finances
- The lawmaker called for closer scrutiny of recurrent expenditures, highlighting the inefficiency of purchasing items that do not expire, like vehicles and utensils, each year
Bello El-Rufai, a federal lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, has strongly criticised Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for their continuous refusal to reduce their budgets, accusing them of wasting public funds on frivolous items such as utensils and vehicles.
In a video which went viral on social media on Friday, December 20, Bello, the son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to prioritise budget reductions for MDAs.
He pointed out the growing concerns among Nigerians regarding the yearly increase in government spending.
“Nigerians are tired of every agency buying forks and knives every year; we should show them we are serious and make these drastic cuts,” El-Rufai said.
He emphasised the need to cut unnecessary costs and scrutinise budgets more closely.
He highlighted the recurrent expenditure issue in Nigeria’s yearly budgets, stating, "Even as a young person, I see that we budget for vehicles every year, utensils every year. Vehicles do not expire."
He suggested that once an agency buys vehicles in a given year, they should refrain from purchasing new ones in subsequent years.
El-Rufai also called attention to the recurring expenditure on items like computers and furniture, which do not need to be replaced annually. He argued that such expenses should be eliminated to prevent wastage.
“Since I was a boy, every year’s budget includes new computers and furniture, yet these items do not expire. We should cut them out entirely,” he said.
El-Rufai stressed that cutting down on these wasteful expenditures would help address Nigeria’s fiscal challenges and restore public trust in government spending, particularly when it comes to implementing tax reforms to improve the nation’s financial position.
Senate approves Tinubu’s $2.2 billion loan request to fund 2024 budget deficit
Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that the Senate approved President Bola Tinubu’s loan request of $2.2 billion to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficits for the 2024 fiscal year.
The approval followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Aliyu Wamakko, during plenary on Thursday, November 21.
