HURIWA Condemns N140m Livestock Ministry Allocation for Emir Palaces, Mosques, Demands Immediate Withdrawal

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the allocation of N140 million by the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development for the construction and rehabilitation of emir palaces and mosques in Kaduna State, describing the expenditure as a gross misplacement of priorities and an unacceptable deployment of scarce public resources.

The national coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, in a statement on Wednesday, said the allocation is particularly disturbing because the projects have no apparent connection with the core mandate of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, which includes livestock production, animal husbandry, pastoral development, dairy development, livestock value chains and national food security.

The rights group questioned why a specialised federal ministry established to drive Nigeria’s livestock sector would be burdened with financing the construction and rehabilitation of religious and traditional institutions.

Conversely, HURIWA has rejected the explanation offered by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over the controversial budgetary provision originally described as N1 billion for church musical instruments in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, describing the explanation as inadequate and incapable of resolving the serious questions surrounding the use of public funds.

The Deputy Speaker’s office reportedly clarified that the provision, after VAT and other deductions, amounts to about N780 million and is intended as a Youth Re-orientation and Social Support Programme to be implemented through faith-based organisations, including the procurement of evangelical tools and public-address systems.

Onwubiko said the clarification has merely changed the description of the expenditure without addressing the fundamental issue of whether hundreds of millions of naira from the federal treasury should be deployed to finance an evangelistic programme through churches in a constituency.

The rights group said Nigeria is a constitutionally secular and religiously diverse nation and public funds must therefore be deployed with strict adherence to constitutional principles, fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability and equal citizenship.

Addressing specifically the budgetary approvals for reconstruction of mosques and emir palaces by the Federal Ministry of Livestock, HURIWA said the allocation raises serious questions about budgetary discipline, ministerial responsibility, transparency and the integrity of Nigeria’s appropriation process.

The organisation described the expenditure as a grotesque distortion of national priorities at a time when Nigeria is confronted by food insecurity, unemployment, poverty, insecurity of lives and property of citizens, inadequate agricultural infrastructure and a severe human-capital deficit.

Onwubiko said the Federal Government should be investing scarce resources in livestock breeding, veterinary services, animal health, dairy production, modern ranching, livestock infrastructure, research, agricultural technology, farmers’ support programmes and value-chain development rather than unrelated projects.

The association said the controversy illustrates a broader problem within Nigeria’s budgetary system, where ministries with clearly defined statutory mandates are increasingly saddled with projects that appear unrelated to their institutional responsibilities.

HURIWA warned that such practices undermine the purpose of creating specialised ministries and weaken the government’s ability to implement coherent national development policies.

The rights group therefore demanded that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development immediately publish the full justification and legal basis for the N140 million allocation, including the project proposal, implementation plan, beneficiaries, procurement process and source of the request.

HURIWA also demanded disclosure of the contractors, procurement documents, implementation status and all government officials or institutions responsible for initiating, processing and approving the expenditure.

The association insisted that every naira appropriated through the livestock ministry must demonstrate a clear and measurable connection to livestock development and national food security.

Onwubiko 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 determine whether it complies with applicable public-finance, procurement and appropriation laws.

The organisation said the fact that the allocation appears in an approved budget does not remove the obligation of public institutions to demonstrate that expenditure is lawful, necessary, transparent and capable of delivering measurable public value.

HURIWA warned that Nigeria cannot achieve technological advancement, economic productivity and food security by continually diverting scarce resources into projects driven by political convenience rather than developmental necessity.

At a time when Nigerian livestock farmers are battling insecurity, poor access to finance, inadequate veterinary services, weak infrastructure and limited market opportunities, the livestock sector requires strategic investment capable of transforming production and creating jobs.

The association said the Federal Government must urgently refocus the livestock ministry on its core mandate and ensure that its budget is not converted into a vehicle for unrelated constituency or political projects.

Onwubiko therefore asked the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to provide Nigerians with a comprehensive explanation of the N140 million allocation and announce concrete steps to withdraw, review or appropriately reclassify the expenditure where necessary.

The organisation said failure to provide satisfactory answers would reinforce concerns that Nigeria’s budgetary process is being compromised by misplaced priorities and political considerations.

HURIWA also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct a comprehensive review of questionable allocations across federal ministries and agencies and ensure that public resources are channelled towards projects that directly improve the welfare and productivity of Nigerians.

Nigeria is currently battling hunger, unemployment, insecurity and declining living standards.

The country therefore cannot afford to waste scarce public resources on projects that do not demonstrably advance national development.

The livestock sector is too important to Nigeria’s food security and economic future to be reduced to a funding channel for unrelated projects.

HURIWA maintains that Nigeria needs productive agriculture, livestock transformation, modern technology, human-capital development, functional infrastructure, quality healthcare, education, jobs and food security.

Every naira allocated to government must therefore be subjected to the highest standards of transparency, accountability and public value.