Senate Halts AGF Budget Over Massive 2025 Fund Freeze

Patrick Isaac

The Senate has stepped down the Accountant General of the Federation’s (AGF) budget defence, furious over the failure to release 2025 appropriated funds to MDAs, sparking fears of crippled government operations.

During sessions, multiple MDAs reported zero releases despite weeks into the fiscal year.

Finance Committee Chairman,.Sani Musa called it alarming, saying it undermines budget implementation and public trust.

“Budget passage means nothing without releases, Nigerians suffer when governance stalls,” Musa warned, before lawmakers huddled in closed session for deeper probes.

AGF Ogunjimi Babatunde blamed inherited issues, fiscal constraints, poor MDA tax remittances, unbacked contracts, and revenue shortfalls.

“We can’t disburse what we don’t have,” he said, rejecting ways-and-means loans for fiscal discipline.

He urged better tax collection and revenue to smooth future rollouts.

The Senate will press on, as funding delays threaten nationwide programmes.