Former senator Dino Melaye has questioned the use of government funds for religious activities in Nigeria.
The ADC chieftain said public money should be reserved for development and essential services.
Melaye spoke while appearing on the KAA Truths podcast.
Roads and Hospitals Should Come First
According to Melaye, Nigeria still faces major infrastructure challenges.
He said roads and hospitals need more government attention.
He therefore questioned the decision to spend large amounts of public money on religious programmes and pilgrimages.
“What is the business of government with religion?” he asked.
Melaye argued that religion should remain a personal matter.
Criticism of Pilgrimage Sponsorship
The former Kogi West lawmaker also took aim at government-funded pilgrimages.
He questioned why taxpayers’ money should be used to send people to Mecca and Jerusalem.
Melaye said wealthy Nigerians and religious organisations could provide such support instead.
He argued that government should not carry the financial burden of religious obligations.
“There is no chapter in the Quran or the Bible that says if you don’t go to Mecca or Israel for pilgrimage, you will not make heaven,” he said.
‘We Cannot Prioritise Spending’
Melaye said the country needs better spending priorities.
He pointed to the condition of public roads and hospitals as examples of areas where government investment is urgently needed.
He also criticised the allocation of what he described as huge sums to religious activities.
For Melaye, government funding should focus on projects that directly improve the lives of Nigerians.
His position adds to the ongoing public debate over government sponsorship of religious programmes and pilgrimages.
