Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, the lawmaker representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in Oyo State, has debunked claims suggesting that members of the House of Representatives each received ₦1 billion in capital project allocations following the removal of fuel subsidies.
Capital Project Allocations are budgetary provisions facilitated by federal lawmakers and released by the federal government to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for development projects within various constituencies.
These projects are aimed at addressing socio-economic and infrastructural challenges, particularly in rural communities.
Akande-Sadipe, who also chairs the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, made this clarification through a statement issued by her media team on Sunday.
According to the statement, a viral video circulating across social media platforms had falsely alleged that each federal legislator had been receiving ₦1 billion since the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“The attention of Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has been drawn to a misleading video currently circulating across various media platforms, suggesting that Federal Legislators have been receiving ₦1 billion each since the removal of fuel subsidy,” the statement read.
She described the claim as “false, misleading, and a misrepresentation of the Federal Government’s efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” emphasising that no legislator receives funds directly for constituency projects.
Akande-Sadipe clarified that all government interventions in constituencies are implemented by the relevant MDAs as specified in the national budget.
“Rather than being disbursed directly to lawmakers, all interventions by the Federal Republic of Nigeria are executed by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government,” she noted.
The lawmaker acknowledged that the proposed 2025 Budget includes a policy development aimed at increasing the capital project allocation for each federal constituency to ₦1 billion.
She, however, stressed that this initiative is part of the 2025 Appropriation Bill and has not yet been implemented.
“This development is a strategic response to rising inflation and enhanced government revenues following the removal of petroleum subsidies and the floating of the foreign exchange rate,” Akande-Sadipe explained.
She further dismissed claims that such allocations were part of the 2023 or 2024 budgets, maintaining that it is a new proposal intended for rollout from late 2025 through the first quarter of 2026.
Akande-Sadipe commended President Tinubu’s administration for prioritising infrastructure development through the appropriate MDAs, highlighting that lawmakers only serve to recommend projects and provide oversight.
“Lawmakers only recommend and provide oversight to ensure that projects meet the needs of their constituencies and are executed within budgetary timelines and standards,” she added.
The Oluyole representative also reaffirmed her commitment to transparency, accountability, and equitable development in her legislative duties.
She assured her constituents that projects allocated to Oluyole Federal Constituency under the 2025 budget would be meticulously monitored to ensure proper execution.
Concluding her statement, Akande-Sadipe urged the public to disregard the circulating misinformation, which she described as politically motivated.
She called on Nigerians to seek verified information from reliable sources, emphasising the importance of unity and trust in government processes.
