Fiscal Breach: How Imo gov’t spent N101bn without legislative approval

A growing controversy has emerged over the financial management of Imo State, following revelations that the government spent over ₦101.54 billion outside approved budgets between 2023 and 2025.

The figures, drawn from official budget performance documents, indicate a consistent pattern of extra-budgetary expenditure across multiple government offices, raising serious concerns about fiscal discipline, transparency, and adherence to legal provisions.

A breakdown of the spending shows that ₦36.94 billion was expended outside budgetary approvals in 2023, ₦22.54 billion in 2024, and ₦42.06 billion in 2025, the highest within the three-year period.

Despite variations in yearly figures, a recurring issue is that funds were reportedly spent without evidence of legislative approval, a requirement under Nigeria’s public finance laws.

The 2025 financial year recorded the most extensive breaches, cutting across 26 government offices.

The excess spending spanned personnel, overhead, and “other expenditure” categories, highlighting systemic lapses in budget implementation.

Personnel costs exceeded approved limits in several ministries and agencies.

The Office of the Head of Service, for instance, spent ₦8.3 billion against a budget of ₦6.44 billion, while oversight institutions such as the Auditor-General’s offices also recorded budget overruns.

Within the judiciary, the Judicial Service Commission more than doubled its personnel budget, while the Ministry of Justice exceeded its allocation by hundreds of millions of naira.

Overhead expenditure also surged significantly.

The Office of the Governor alone spent ₦13.77 billion against an approved ₦5.24 billion, while the Ministry of Information exceeded its allocation by over 1,000 percent.

In the “other expenditure” category, the Ministry of Finance recorded the most striking deviation, spending ₦28.83 billion against a budget of ₦3.3 billion.

These spending patterns persisted despite poor funding for critical sectors.

Agriculture, education, youth development, and labour programmes reportedly received minimal or no capital releases during the same period, even as unemployment and poverty indicators worsened in the state.

Labour statistics further paint a troubling picture. Imo ranks among states with weak employment indicators, including a high number of discouraged job seekers and youths not engaged in education, employment, or training.

Although the state government defended its actions, citing provisions for budget adjustments through virement and supplementary budgets, questions remain over compliance with legal procedures.

The Commissioner for Information argued that overall annual budgets were not exceeded and that adjustments were within legal bounds.

However, available records show limited evidence of legislative approvals for such expenditures.

Experts have strongly criticised the practice.

A public finance specialist noted that spending outside approved budgets without prior legislative consent violates both the Constitution and fiscal responsibility laws.

Under Imo State’s Fiscal Responsibility Law, such actions may constitute an offence, attracting penalties including fines or imprisonment.

Despite the scale of the issue, the Imo State House of Assembly has yet to publicly respond, raising further concerns about oversight and accountability.

As scrutiny intensifies, the revelations have sparked renewed calls for transparency and stricter enforcement of public finance regulations to safeguard public funds and restore confidence in governance.

Credit: Premium Times Nigeria

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