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In a strongly worded rebuke of the 2025 Federal Budget, Chief Peter Ameh, a former presidential candidate and ex-National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has described Nigeria’s latest fiscal plan as a “monument to waste, misplaced priorities, and a calculated assault on the nation’s future.”

The detailed statement, issued Wednesday, lays bare what Ameh calls a budget “riddled with corruption, incoherence, and deliberate mismanagement,” warning that it signals a deepening crisis in governance and economic direction.

Chief Ameh, who also serves as the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), did not mince words in his condemnation. Titled “Budget of Broken Promises and Renewed Hopelessness,” the statement accused the Nigerian government of squandering national resources under the guise of development.

“The 2025 Nigerian Federal Budget, intended to serve as a blueprint for national development, is instead a glaring testament to uncoordinated spending, monumental waste, and systemic corruption,” said Ameh.

Absurd Allocations and Mandate Violations

According to the statement, the budget is riddled with egregious misallocations, including the Ministry of Agriculture allocating N100 million to train hairdressers—a task completely unrelated to its core mandate of food security and agricultural development.

With food inflation nearing 30%, Ameh characterized such an allocation as a “scandalous misuse of public funds,” pointing to a broader pattern of ministries operating far outside their designated functions.

Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—responsible for managing Nigeria’s diplomatic relations—has been allocated N300 million for providing relief to internally displaced persons (IDPs), a duty that logically belongs to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs or the Ministry of Interior.

“Why are ministries operating outside their mandates? The answer lies in the budget’s structure, which prioritizes individual insertions over national priorities,” Ameh asserted.

Duplications and Constituency Paddings

Chief Ameh detailed instances of duplication and suspicious line items, notably within the Ministry of Arts and Culture, which he said budgeted for the “renovation and furnishing of artist hostels in Abuja” six times under identical codes and amounts. He also took aim at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which he said reads like a “Father Christmas list,” listing projects that include:

N800 million for “honorarium and sitting allowance”

N150 million for furnishing homes of royal fathers in Gombe

Multiple vague allocations for “food items” and solar installations

These entries, he claimed, reflect a deeply entrenched culture of impunity and patronage.

Cash Grants and Legislative Abuse

Perhaps most alarming, according to Ameh, is the budget’s proliferation of untraceable “cash grant” items—some as high as N300 million. These are often inserted by lawmakers under the pretense of social welfare but bypass the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and lack any meaningful oversight.

“Unlike infrastructure projects, cash grants require minimal documentation, making them ripe for abuse. A senator could distribute a fraction of the funds—say, N10 million—while pocketing the rest,” Ameh warned.

He linked this budgetary sleight-of-hand directly to the growing wealth gap, pointing to the visible affluence of political elites juxtaposed with widespread poverty and stagnation in household consumption.

A Government Out of Sync

Ameh described the budget as “a chaotic mishmash” where ministries not responsible for infrastructure are building roads and civic centers, and inflated costs—like N200 million for tricycles—are rubber-stamped without scrutiny. He cited the maintenance of a Federal Ministry of Labor office in Geneva at N767 million as emblematic of the frivolous spending baked into the budget.

“These are not mere oversights—they are deliberate choices that sabotage national development,” he said.

Call for Urgent Reform

Chief Ameh called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s budgetary process, beginning with strict adherence to ministerial mandates and the elimination of vague and duplicative budget lines. He also proposed mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments, feasibility studies, and public audits for all capital projects.

“Without these reforms, the country will continue on a path of unfulfilled potential, where budgets remain a tool for personal enrichment rather than national progress,” he stated.

He further criticized the National Assembly for passing what he described as a fundamentally flawed document without due diligence or proper oversight, calling the legislative rubber-stamping of such budgets “an abdication of constitutional responsibility.”

A Bleak Outlook Without Reform

Chief Ameh concluded his remarks with a sobering assessment of the country’s future if no corrective action is taken.

“The 2025 Federal Budget is a heartbreaking reflection of Nigeria’s broken governance system… It ensures that public funds enrich a few while leaving the masses in poverty. This is a painful reality that demands urgent action.”

As the nation grapples with rising inflation, widespread unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure, Ameh’s statement adds to growing calls from civil society, economists, and political observers for transparency, accountability, and structural reform in Nigeria’s budgetary process.

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