Hilda Dokubo
Nollywood actress and activist, Hilda Dokubo, has launched a blistering attack on the Federal Government over what she described as questionable and inflated budgetary allocations, accusing the political elite of enriching themselves while millions of Nigerians struggle with poverty, insecurity, poor electricity and inadequate access to potable water.
Dokubo, in a fiery video message, alleged that about **N6.9tn** had been inserted into the national budget through questionable, redundant and inflated projects.
She attributed the figure to BudgetIT and argued that the alleged budget padding should outrage Nigerians, particularly amid the worsening economic hardship confronting households across the country.
The actress was particularly scathing over an alleged **N393bn allocation for 1,477 streetlights**, questioning the justification for the expenditure.
She calculated that the allocation amounted to roughly **N266m per streetlight**, sarcastically asking whether the poles were “going to heaven.”
Dokubo also questioned an alleged **N1.14bn provision for 538 bulbs**, demanding to know what could justify such expenditure.
Turning to water infrastructure, she expressed disbelief over an alleged **N114bn allocation for 538 boreholes**, pointing out that many Nigerians still depend on unsafe water sources despite billions purportedly earmarked for water projects.
“What kind of boreholes will cost this amount?” she asked.
The actress recalled growing up in Port Harcourt when residents could turn on their taps and get running water, contrasting that experience with the current situation where communities increasingly depend on boreholes and other alternative sources.
She also raised questions over an alleged **N505bn allocation for 2,122 ICT projects**, arguing that such figures require intense public scrutiny and accountability.
Dokubo further criticised an alleged **N6.7bn allocation for the empowerment of traditional rulers**, questioning whether the spending would genuinely benefit traditional institutions and their communities or merely reinforce political patronage.
She challenged the government to explain why billions of naira could be allocated to projects she considered questionable while young people and women continue to face economic hardship.
According to Dokubo, the alleged pattern of spending reflects a deeper failure of governance in which public resources are treated as though they belong to a privileged political class.
“What kind of government sits at a table of power, dips its filthy hands into the treasury and serves itself a banquet of billions while millions of Nigerians can’t afford a meal, a roof or clean water?” she asked.
Dokubo argued that Nigeria’s population of more than 200 million people should not remain powerless while a relatively small number of public officials control the country’s resources.
She also condemned what she described as the normalisation of corruption, arguing that individuals accused of looting public funds are increasingly celebrated, honoured and granted prominent positions.
According to her, traditional African societies once subjected thieves to public condemnation, but modern society has developed euphemisms and social conventions that allow alleged corrupt actors to retain respect and influence.
Dokubo, however, urged Nigerians to pursue accountability through lawful and peaceful means rather than vigilantism.
She painted a picture of the consequences of poor governance, asking Nigerians to consider farmers without access to clean water, families affected by waterborne diseases and businesses struggling with inadequate electricity and insecurity.
She argued that public spending should prioritise projects capable of directly improving citizens’ lives rather than allocations whose costs and usefulness raise serious questions.
“This is not governance,” she said. “This is betrayal.”
Dokubo also called on Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions and unite around the demand for transparency and accountability from public officials.
“We may be acting helpless, but we cannot be helpless and we are not helpless,” she declared.
She urged citizens to demand explanations for public expenditure and insist that every naira entrusted to government be properly accounted for.
Dokubo concluded by calling for sustained civic pressure and public scrutiny of government spending, insisting that Nigerians must no longer remain silent in the face of alleged waste and corruption.
“The time for action is now,” she declared.