Atiku Abubakar, the former presidential candidate, has criticized the 2026 Appropriation Act, specifically highlighting a report by Tracka that reveals the Federal Cooperative College in Oji River, Enugu State, was granted N1.08 trillion for 2,791 capital projects nationwide. Through his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described this move as a clear attempt to defraud the public rather than a legitimate governance strategy.
The criticism arrives while the Tinubu administration urges citizens to endure harsh economic reforms and increased taxes under the guise of fiscal prudence. Atiku pointed out the absurdity of tasking a small educational institution with managing massive infrastructure projects like road construction, healthcare facilities, and widespread empowerment initiatives that fall entirely outside its academic mandate. He questioned the legal justification and oversight for this decision, suggesting it undermines the credibility of the entire federal budget.
Furthermore, Atiku argued that such spending patterns expose a lack of transparency, characterizing the government’s financial management as a return to outdated practices where public funds are treated as private assets. He concluded that an administration demanding sacrifice from citizens while hiding massive expenditures behind an ill-equipped college cannot credibly claim to be fighting financial waste or practicing fiscal discipline.
