30 Nigerian Governors Spend N968.64bn on Refreshments and Other Expenses in Three Months: Report

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In an alarming revelation, a recent report has highlighted the extravagant spending habits of Nigerian state governors. Despite the nation's economic struggles and the government's difficulty in meeting the N30,000 minimum wage for workers, governors have collectively spent a staggering N968.64 billion on refreshments and other non-essential expenses over just three months.


The analysis, derived from budget performance reports sourced from Open Nigerian States, a BudgIT-backed platform that provides comprehensive government budget data, paints a stark picture of fiscal irresponsibility. In the first nine months of 2023, the 36 states of the federation collectively spent N1.71 trillion on recurrent expenditures. These expenditures include allowances, foreign trips, office supplies, aircraft maintenance, and more. If salaries are included, the total recurrent spending would escalate to N2.52 trillion.


The breakdown of these expenditures reveals a pattern of lavish spending on non-essential items. For example:

- Abia State: Spent N17.61 billion on housing/rent allowances, meal subsidies, entertainment allowances, wardrobe allowances, social benefits, pensions, gratuities, internet access charges, and more.
  
- Akwa Ibom: Allocated N92.54 billion for allowances, social contributions, travel and transport, utilities, office stationery, medical supplies, maintenance, training, and more. Notably, the state spent N10 million on hosting political associations and N841.83 million on entertainment at meetings.

- Adamawa: Recorded a non-salary expenditure of N40.90 billion, including N1.29 billion on furniture allowance and N1.19 billion on travel and training.

- Lagos: Topped the list with a non-salary spend of N289.49 billion. This includes N741.34 million as severance pay for political office appointees, N340.95 million on aircraft maintenance, N8.07 billion on plant and generator costs, and N107.79 billion on special duties.


This extravagant spending comes at a time when many governors struggle to pay the mandated N30,000 minimum wage. Despite receiving regular monthly allocations, these funds are often funneled into projects awarded to cronies, with little to no accountability, and later returned to the politicians themselves.


Another critical area of spending is security votes, with 30 states disbursing a total of N87.45 billion so far. Additionally, the states' borrowings have surged to N988 billion by the third quarter of 2023, exacerbating the financial burden on the economy.


Other specific instances of non-salary recurrent expenditures include:

- Bayelsa: N58.26 billion spent, including N2.18 billion on training and travel, N1.81 billion on welfare packages, and N1.48 billion on town hall meetings.
  
- Benue: Spent N34.44 billion, including N7.06 billion on security votes, N387.55 million on special day celebrations, and N1.23 billion on materials and supplies.

- Ekiti: Allocated N31.33 billion, including N2.74 billion on travel and transport, and N1.97 billion on welfare packages, refreshments, and honorarium.


The report underscores a glaring disconnect between the political class's spending habits and the economic realities faced by the average Nigerian worker. As the country grapples with economic hardship and a growing fiscal deficit, the need for financial prudence and accountability among state governors has never been more critical. Addressing this issue is essential to ensuring that resources are used efficiently to improve the living standards of all Nigerians, rather than being wasted on non-essential expenditures.

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