Tinubu's Approved Funds for Agencies Stalled by Permanent Secretary

Funds approved by President Bola Tinubu for agencies under the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation have been frozen for over a week. There has been no official explanation for this delay, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

The funds were meant for agencies like the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Voice of Nigeria (VON), National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). All these agencies fall under the ministry's supervision.

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the total amount approved by the president about three weeks ago for the agencies' operations. But multiple sources close to the situation said the Permanent Secretary, Binyerem Ukaire, has blocked the payment files. This happened because the heads of the agencies reportedly refused her request for detailed presentations about their activities, ongoing projects, and plans for using the funds.

Sources who spoke to this newspaper separately claimed that the permanent secretary's requests do not align with standard civil service practices. They suggested that her actions are not appropriate.

PREMIUM TIMES also reached out to several heads of the affected agencies. Most of them spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of victimization. They confirmed the situation.

One agency head said the hold-up in releasing the funds has stalled projects and disrupted other official activities in the agencies. Another head mentioned that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had stepped in. But the permanent secretary insisted that agency heads must present their plans to her before she approves the funds.

“We cannot engage her. She can ask us for updates on our activities. But she cannot force us to give presentations, as she is demanding. We are not sure what she really wants. We cannot indulge her by going to see her because we’re not answerable to her. She’s frustrating the sector because ongoing projects cannot continue, and even the intervention of the minister has not helped the matter,” the agency head told PREMIUM TIMES.

According to the official, heads of agencies report to their boards and supervising ministers, not to permanent secretaries.

To find out if the permanent secretary has authority over the agency heads, PREMIUM TIMES reviewed a circular from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). This circular explains the relationship between ministries and agencies.

The circular states that agencies and government-owned companies are set up by law. They have significant independence and flexibility to provide services efficiently outside the regular civil service. It also says that ministries should not get involved in the daily management of these agencies.

On money matters, the circular directs ministries to stay out of the finances of the agencies they control. It specifically states that ministries should not redirect their funds to unrelated expenses or require agencies to cover ministry costs, like guest houses or allowances for ministers and ministry officials.

Though this circular is dated 2 August 1999, PREMIUM TIMES found no evidence that it has been canceled or replaced.

When PREMIUM TIMES asked Mrs Ukaire for clarification, she confirmed that the funds had not been released yet. She added that the file is still being processed.

“The file is undergoing processing,” she wrote in response to our inquiry.

Delays in releasing approved funds have become a common issue for federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) under the Tinubu administration. Many agencies have complained that timely cash releases from the federal government do not match approved budgets.

These delays have forced many MDAs to slow projects, postpone purchases, and roll over contracts to later budget cycles. During oversight visits, members of the National Assembly have raised concerns about poor budget implementation. They pointed out that delays in cash backing for approved projects, along with inadequate funding, are driving these issues.

To tackle this problem, the Tinubu administration has promised on several occasions to improve budget implementation speed by releasing funds more quickly. Agencies have also been told to enhance their procurement planning to allow faster use of funds.

Given this situation, the delay in processing funds that have already received presidential approval could worsen implementation challenges within the information ministry and its agencies. If these funds remain unused, ongoing projects could face delays, contractors might not get paid, operational activities could be disrupted, and agencies may struggle to meet performance goals linked to the 2026 budget.