A civil society organisation, the Civil Rights Network on Accountability (CRNA), has strongly criticised Nigeria’s fiscal leadership and urged the National Assembly to pass a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, over what it described as a complete breakdown in budget execution.
According to CRNA, the inability of the finance ministry and the office of the accountant-general to activate any measurable percentage of the approved budget amounts to gross incompetence and represents a serious violation of public trust. The group described the situation as an alarming collapse of fiscal coordination at the core of government operations.
The organisation warned that institutions responsible for managing public finances have instead become barriers to governance, stressing that the finance ministry and the treasury should function as engines for national development, not obstacles to service delivery.
CRNA stated that the continued delay in implementing the 2025 budget is unjustifiable and reflects a lack of coordination, accountability, and transparency in the handling of public resources.
Budget implementation, the group emphasised, is not a symbolic or ceremonial process but a fundamental pillar of governance. It noted that delays at the treasury level have direct consequences, including stalled capital projects, unpaid government obligations, rising frustration among citizens, and worsening economic hardship nationwide.
CRNA questioned how key fiscal officials have spent the months since the budget was signed into law, while Nigerians continue to face economic strain, inflationary pressure, and uncertainty.
The organisation also cautioned that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to retain both officials despite what it called persistent failures could significantly damage the administration’s credibility and derail its economic reform agenda.
According to CRNA, if the current fiscal leadership remains in office, the March 31 deadline for partial implementation of the 2025 budget risks collapsing entirely. The group argued that fiscal discipline and economic reforms cannot succeed under officials who have failed to demonstrate urgency, competence, or capacity.
CRNA further accused both offices of operating an opaque system marked by weak communication and poor public accountability. It lamented the absence of clear timelines for budget execution, lack of transparency in cash releases, and failure to provide Nigerians with credible explanations for the prolonged paralysis.
The group stressed that such dysfunction would be unacceptable in any serious democracy and undermines public confidence in government institutions.
Calling on the Senate and the House of Representatives, CRNA urged lawmakers to exercise their constitutional oversight responsibilities decisively. It argued that a vote of no confidence would send a clear message that fiscal recklessness and administrative inertia will no longer be tolerated.
The organisation maintained that such an action should not be viewed as political hostility but as a constitutional duty to protect the interests of Nigerian citizens when critical state institutions fail to perform.
CRNA warned that continued paralysis in budget execution would worsen poverty levels, delay critical infrastructure projects, and further erode public trust, particularly at a time when Nigerians are already struggling with unemployment and rising living costs.
The group concluded by stressing that the issue is not about political rivalry but about competence, accountability, and responsible governance, insisting that Nigeria cannot afford fiscal leadership synonymous with delay, confusion, and systemic failure.
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