The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called for the immediate withdrawal and review of a N140 million allocation by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development for the construction and rehabilitation of emir palaces and mosques in Kaduna State.
The rights group described the allocation as a misplacement of priorities, arguing that the projects had no clear connection with the ministry’s mandate of developing Nigeria’s livestock industry and strengthening national food security.
In a statement signed on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA questioned why a specialised ministry responsible for livestock production and value-chain development would fund projects involving religious and traditional institutions.
The organisation said the allocation was particularly troubling at a time when livestock farmers were contending with insecurity, inadequate veterinary services, poor infrastructure, limited access to finance and weak market opportunities.
It urged the Federal Government to redirect resources earmarked for such projects towards livestock breeding, veterinary care, dairy production, modern ranching, research, agricultural technology and other interventions capable of increasing productivity and creating jobs.
HURIWA said the development also raised wider concerns about budgetary discipline and the integrity of the appropriation process particularly where federal ministries are assigned projects that appear unrelated to their statutory responsibilities.
The group argued that such practices could undermine the purpose of establishing specialised ministries and make it difficult for government to implement coherent development policies.
HURIWA therefore demanded that the Ministry of Livestock Development publish the justification and legal basis for the N140 million allocation, alongside details of the projects, proposed beneficiaries, procurement process and source of the requests.
It also asked the ministry to disclose the contractors involved, procurement documents, implementation status and the government officials or institutions responsible for initiating, processing and approving the expenditure.
The rights group insisted that every allocation through the livestock ministry should have a demonstrable connection with livestock development and food security.
It further called on the National Assembly, Budget Office of the Federation, Auditor-General for the Federation and relevant anti-corruption agencies to scrutinise the allocation and establish whether it complies with appropriation, procurement and public-finance laws.
According to HURIWA, the inclusion of an expenditure in an approved budget does not by itself eliminate the responsibility of public institutions to demonstrate that the spending is lawful, necessary, transparent and capable of delivering measurable value to citizens.
The organisation said the controversy was symptomatic of a broader problem in Nigeria’s budgeting system, where projects could be inserted into the budgets of ministries despite having little apparent connection with their core mandates.
HURIWA also criticised the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over a separate controversial budgetary provision initially described as N1 billion for church musical instruments in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State.
The group rejected the explanation from Kalu’s office that the provision, which reportedly amounts to about N780 million after VAT and other deductions, was intended as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations.
The programme, according to the explanation, would involve the procurement of evangelical tools and public-address systems.
HURIWA said the clarification had not addressed what it described as the fundamental question of whether hundreds of millions of naira in public funds should be used to finance an evangelistic programme through churches in a constituency.
The organisation maintained that Nigeria’s constitutional status as a secular and religiously diverse country required public funds to be deployed in accordance with constitutional principles, fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability and equal citizenship.
Returning to the livestock ministry allocation, HURIWA said Nigeria’s current economic challenges made it imperative for government to concentrate spending on areas with direct impact on citizens’ welfare and productivity.
It listed food insecurity, unemployment, poverty, insecurity, inadequate agricultural infrastructure and the human-capital deficit among the pressing challenges requiring urgent government attention.
The group said livestock development was particularly important because of its contribution to food production, employment and the broader agricultural economy.
It argued that funding unrelated projects would weaken efforts to transform the sector at a time when farmers needed stronger government intervention.
HURIWA consequently called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a comprehensive review of questionable allocations across federal ministries and agencies and ensure that public funds were channelled towards projects that directly improve citizens’ welfare.
The group said the livestock ministry should be refocused on its core responsibilities and prevented from becoming a funding channel for projects driven by political considerations rather than developmental needs.
It warned that failure to provide satisfactory explanations for the N140 million allocation could further fuel concerns over misplaced priorities in Nigeria’s budgetary process.
“Nigeria needs productive agriculture, livestock transformation, modern technology, human-capital development, functional infrastructure, quality healthcare, education, jobs and food security,” HURIWA said.
The organisation maintained that every naira appropriated by government must be subjected to strict standards of transparency, accountability and public value.
