Bello El-Rufai’s Bold Call for Fiscal Discipline: My Reflections
By Jerry Adesewo
I wasn’t expecting much when I scrolled past the now-viral clip of Hon. Bello El-Rufai speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Just another politician, I thought. Another soundbite. Another staged performance in the theatre of Nigerian governance.
But then I stopped. Rewound. Watched again.
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“MDAs should not be requesting vehicles, computers, furniture, and stationery every year,” he said, calmly but firmly. “These are items that should last several years when properly maintained. We must lead by example.”
Wait, what?
Did a sitting legislator—no less, the son of a prominent political figure—just call out the very culture of indulgence that props up Nigeria’s political class? Did he really say that sacrifice should begin with public officials?
I leaned in. Not out of skepticism, but out of sheer disbelief.
In a country where the political elite often ask citizens to “endure a little more,” while quietly padding budgets with outrageous allowances, and buying the choicest of cars year-in, year-out, Bello El-Rufai’s words rang different. They were not just politically correct—they were refreshingly uncomfortable.
And then came the part that truly got me:
“We cannot continue to ask citizens to tighten their belts while we loosen ours.”
Boom.
As someone who has written extensively about governance and the widening trust deficit between Nigerians and their leaders, I have grown weary of empty posturing. But this wasn’t that. This was sharp, intentional, and—in its own way—brave. Especially considering it was coming from the inside.
Hon. El-Rufai, Chairman of the House Committee on Banking Regulations, was speaking during deliberations on the 2025 Appropriation Bill. He praised President Bola Tinubu’s budget presentation, calling it “forward-thinking,” but didn’t shy away from challenging the house—and by extension, the broader political establishment—to live the values they claim to uphold.
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His remarks touched on everything we rant about in barber shops, bukas, and boardrooms: the wastefulness of annual procurement cycles, the façade of public service, and the moral bankruptcy of demanding sacrifice from those already neck-deep in hardship.
“This is about public trust,” he insisted. “If we truly want to change the narrative, it begins with accountability.”
It’s not that we haven’t heard similar rhetoric before. We have. Many times. But something about this clip—his delivery, the context, the clarity—made it feel different. It felt like someone pulling back the curtain from within the room, not just pointing fingers from the outside.
It made me wonder: could this be a crack in the wall? A signal that some within the system are tired of the silence and complicity? Or was this just another well-crafted PR moment?
Only time will tell. But as I closed the video, one thought lingered: even if this was just a moment, it was a necessary one. And if more legislators start echoing this tune—and backing it with action—we might just begin to see a culture shift in how leadership is practiced in this country.
So yes, I started the video with disbelief. But I ended it with a measure of hope.
Let’s see what they do next.
Bello El-Rufai’s Bold Call for Fiscal Discipline: My Reflections