#BUDGET2018: Saraki, Dogara send dangerous signals

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives have both warned the executive against poor implementation of the 2018 budget.

They also warned against reckless borrowings by the Federal Government.

Saraki, in his remarks, warned: “We must ensure that our borrowing is targeted at productive projects that will stimulate the economy. We must ensure real value-for-money in projects funded by borrowing, and make doubly sure that the projects are not overpriced.

“People are seeking to get back to work but cannot find jobs. Entrepreneurs want to restart their businesses but are finding it difficult to access the needed capital. As for our farmers, the last thing they want is for produce to go to waste because people cannot afford to buy.

“Looking around today, we see that many of our undergraduates are apprehensive about their graduation day; and our National Youth Corps members are not looking forward to the end of the service year, for fear of being tagged ‘unemployed’.

“While I commend your current efforts at tackling unemployment – especially among the youth through Federal Youth Programmes such as YouWin, N-Power, and YES-Programme – deliberate steps must be taken to make the 2018 budget a job oriented one.

“We must move beyond budgetary provisions without adequate funding available for the execution of projects – and ensure that selection of contractors, as well as the release of funds, are transparent. We must therefore make project completion a top priority, especially those projects that directly impact the lives of our people.”

Dogara, on his part, said non-implementation of the budget is the same crime as corruption.

He warned that the roll over of the 2017 budget, will be predicted on how far the executive implements capital components of the Act before end of the year.

“As legislators, what agitates us is the prospects of totally abandoning the 2017 Budget and the dire consequences of doing so. The questions that must be answered include whether we have effectively enforced 2017 fiscal targets and whether managers have complied with the budget as authorized by the legislature.

“Our experience with the implementation of the 2016 Budget amply demonstrates that obeying our Appropriation Laws maximizes the release of our potentials while violating the Appropriation Laws caps the release of our national potentials.

“This means that we have to redouble our efforts in implementing the 2017 Budget, if we must retire it in January or at the very least roll over most of the projects in 2017 budget to 2018. No need to remind us that fiscal indiscipline is as grievous a problem as corruption which this Government is busy eliminating.

“Let me place it on record that the 2018 Budget preparations suffer from inadequate consultations between the MDAS and various over- sighting Committees of the National Assembly. Consequently, one can only hope and pray that it does not lead to delay in consideration and passage of the Budget,” Dogara said.

Meanwhile, Members of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, failed to carry out their threats to disrupt the presentation of the 2018 budget by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lawmakers, who are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the exercise, agreed to protest the non-implementation of the 2016 and 2017 budgets.

 

Read Also : #BUDGET2018: Nigerian govt proposes to spend N8.612trn

As soon as the House concluded its closed door meeting, which lasted for over one hour in the chamber, PDP members, led by its Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyema, quickly convened in Hearing Room 2, White House, for an emergency caucus meeting.

Ripples Nigeria learnt that at the caucus meeting, the lawmaker agreed to carry placards during the presentation of the 2018 Appropriation Bill by President Buhari to protest non-implementation of previous Appropriation Acts.

As the PDP lawmakers left the caucus meeting at about 1.28pm for the chamber, some of them were seen tucking their placards inside their clothes, while others simply folded their copies.

A PDP lawmaker, who is is from one of the South South states, was heard telling one of his colleagues, “my own inscription is implement or resign.”

But while the speech of the President lasted, no lawmaker stood up to protest. The President’s speech lasted for over an hour. Instead, lawmakers repeatedly applauded the President and gave him a standing ovation when he concluded his long speech.

 

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