During an interview from 3:29 on Arise Television on Thursday, July 23, 2026, political analyst Jide Ojo criticized budgetary allocations for religious projects, arguing that such expenditures should not be placed under ministries and agencies whose statutory responsibilities are unrelated to them.
Ojo made the statement while reacting to findings by Tracka, which reported that ₦1.91 billion was allocated to seven church-related projects, while ₦6.14 billion was earmarked for 52 mosque-related projects in the 2026 budget.
According to him, “Imagine in a ministry of agriculture, you are putting money for the renovation of mosques. In a ministry of water resources, you are putting money for the renovation of churches. Is that one of the mandates for those religious centers?”
Ojo argued that budgetary allocations should align with the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of government ministries, departments, and agencies. He maintained that assigning funds for the renovation of churches and mosques through institutions such as the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources raises concerns about budget priorities and whether such spending aligns with their statutory mandates….See More