As July 2025 comes to a close, the House of Representatives has approved a controversial ₦105.14 billion budget for the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), sparking outrage and calls for transparency over what many describe as a bloated and ill-justified allocation.
The approved budget includes ₦20.6 billion for personnel, ₦8.9 billion for overheads, and a staggering ₦75.5 billion for capital projects. The committee chairman, Hon. James Faleke, defended the approval, describing the figures as “satisfactory” and pledging strict oversight on implementation.
However, critics are not buying it.
“How does an agency like RMAFC, whose primary responsibility is to review and monitor revenue allocations, require ₦75.5 billion for capital projects?” asked a financial analyst. “Are they building a refinery or launching a satellite?”
The budget has opened a fresh line of scrutiny—not just over the inflated capital component—but also over the agency’s financial conduct so far in 2025. Analysts and civil society groups are demanding answers to a fundamental question: With what budget has RMAFC been operating in the last seven months of the year?
“There’s been no clarity or public disclosure of RMAFC’s interim spending or how its operations have been funded between January and July. That’s a huge red flag,” noted a transparency advocate. “This country cannot afford a shadow budgeting culture while millions of Nigerians are living below the poverty line.”
The outrage is further compounded by the government’s increasing appetite for debt. The Senate recently approved President Bola Tinubu’s $21.19 billion foreign loan request for the 2025 Appropriation Act, raising concerns about Nigeria’s swelling debt and misplaced priorities.
Critics argue that in a country battling rising inflation, food insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, and underfunded sectors like education and health, pouring ₦105 billion into an agency known more for bureaucracy than delivery smacks of insensitivity and waste.
As lawmakers continue to greenlight budgets without deep interrogation or open scrutiny, the growing public sentiment is one of betrayal and detachment. The bigger question now isn’t just how the funds will be used—but whether anyone is truly watching the watchers.