The Federal Ministry of Livestock Development has dismissed reports claiming that it allocated ₦140 million in its 2026 budget for the rehabilitation of emir palaces and mosques in Kaduna State, describing the reports as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Henrietta Okokon, the Ministry said the claims do not reflect the contents of its approved budget and have created a wrong impression about its spending priorities.
According to the statement, the budget items being circulated were not included in the headquarters budget of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development. Instead, they belong to the budget of the Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology in Vom, Plateau State, which operates as a self accounting institution with its own separate budget.
The Ministry explained that, apart from the items relating to the rehabilitation of emir palaces and mosques, several other projects contained in the college’s budget had also been wrongly attributed to the Ministry. It noted that this mix up has led to the false belief that it approved funding for projects outside its official responsibilities and programmes.
The Ministry urged members of the public, media organisations and other stakeholders to carefully distinguish between its own budget and the separate budgets of agencies and institutions under its supervision before publishing reports or drawing conclusions.
While acknowledging public concerns over the content and alignment of budget proposals submitted by some institutions, the Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and prudent management of public funds.
It stated that efforts would continue to strengthen coordination with agencies under its supervision to ensure future budget proposals are consistent with their statutory mandates, clearly presented and better understood by the public.
The Ministry also appealed to journalists and media organisations to verify budget information with relevant government authorities before publication. It said accurate fact checking and proper clarification are essential to preventing the spread of misleading information and ensuring the public receives credible and verified reports.
