Anambra State government has expended over N159.65m on ‘refreshments and meals’ in the first half of 2026, a figure higher than what it spent on erosion and flood control in the same period.
This development comes amid devastating flooding incidents that have rocked the state leading to fatalities and destruction of properties.
THE WHISTLER reports that on September 22, seven primary school pupils and two adults were rescued after a flood triggered by heavy flood trapped their vehicle along the Nibo–Isiagu Ring Road in Awka South. However, six-year-old Success Ezenwafor was later found dead.
According to the half year 2026 (January to June) Anambra budget implementation report reviewed by THE WHISTLER, the state had earmarked N1.45bn on ‘refreshments and meals’ for the 2026 fiscal year.
The state, however, recorded breakdown expenditures of over N83.52m in Q1 and N76.126m in Q2, respectively, bringing the spending to N159.65m, representing an 11 per cent budget performance.
The report further highlighted that the state has a budget balance of about N1.292bn under the refreshments and meals expenditure as of the end of June. This implies that it still plans to spend over N1 billion on refreshments and meals for the remaining months in the year.
Earlier, THE WHISTLER investigation revealed that Anambra planned to commit N5.12bn to manage erosion and the flood crisis for 2026, but released only N135.70m of the approved budget in the first half of the fiscal year.
The minimal funds release come despite the statement of the Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who repeatedly stated that the state has 1000 active gully erosion sites affecting over 30 per cent of its landmass.
Despite the recurring danger, the state’s financial records show that it spent only 2.7 per cent of its erosion and flood control budget between January and June 2026, far less than its budgeted estimates.
Analysis shows that with N159.6 million spent on ‘refreshments and meals’ and only N135.7 million released for flood control, the government spent N23.945m on refreshments and meals, more than it spent on the erosion and flood budget between January and June, 2026.
Expert questions spending priorities
A Socio-Accountability expert and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Alert, Anthony Adejuwon, said the expenditure reflects the government’s priorities, where officials’ comfort outweighs the drawbacks of environmental negligence.
The accountability organisation which Adejuwon leads addresses issues related to flooding, mining and governance.
Speaking to THE WHISTLER, Adejuwon described the spending priorities as “upside down”, underscoring the priority of “feeding meeting” over protecting communities from flooding and the safety of people living on floodplains.
“Anambra is not a state where flooding is hypothetical; it is real, as communities have been submerged.
“While homes, farmlands, schools, and families are displaced, it is disheartening to see the huge sum used to satisfy the appetites of the leaders who should protect the people of Anambra from climate change challenges, compared with the funds allocated for flood control.
“In reality, the comfort of our leaders appears more valuable than the lives of citizens affected by flooding, as people face the greatest risk at the expense of the convenience of public officials,” he stated.
On the dangers of the development, the expert said, “We are pricing lives below lunch”, explaining that, with the frequency and severity of floods, driven by climate change, every underutilised fund in its management boomerangs back as reactive measures.
Adejuwon argued that if measures including the construction of functional drainage, early warning and riverbank protection are not proactively implemented, “Every naira not spent will be paid back many times over in rescue operations, relief materials, lost harvests and, sadly, lost lives.”
Public money is public business
Emphasising the need for transparency, Adejuwon noted the “deeper danger to public trust”. He said recurrent spending on refreshments “is one of the easiest places for waste and inflated contracts to hide, because it leaves nothing physical to verify”.
He argued that such spending could make citizens less likely to believe the government is working for them, weakening the social contract needed to respond to crises together.
To address this, the expert proposed publishing a detailed breakdown of how the refreshment fund was spent, highlighting who was paid, for what events, and at what unit cost, and asking whether the spending was legitimate.
“The Anambra State House of Assembly should also use its oversight powers to cap discretionary recurrent spending such as refreshments and redirect the savings to flood control and climate adaptation.
“Flood control budgets must be tied to visible projects, with locations, contractors, and timelines published so communities can monitor them. Civil society, the media, and affected communities should keep tracking these figures quarter by quarter.
“Public money is public business, and silence is what allows the priority of the belly to persist.”
Government Officials Decline Comments
THE WHISTLER contacted the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Charles Soludo, Christian Aburime, via WhatsApp, where he disseminates press releases. Still, he had not responded at the time of filing the report.
A further message to the Commissioner of Information, Dr Law Mefor, on his comment was acknowledged, with feedback redirecting THE WHISTLER’s correspondent to the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Chukwukadibia Okoye.
THE WHISTLER has not received an acknowledgement of its message to Okoye as at press time.
