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Returning to plenary after a two-week break during which it reviewed the 2017 budget of the Federal Government against the proposals for 2018, the Senate, yesterday, returned a damning verdict of incompetence, inconsistency and ineptitude in the planning and execution of the 2017 budget.
Summing up the misgivings of the senators, who spoke across party lines, Senate President Bukola Saraki expressed anger, saying that the executive arm must sit up and warning that disaster was lurking if the 2017 budget was not rolled over to 2018.
The senate also observed that the 2018 budget is “heavily padded, inconsistent, full of errors and inacurracies.”
“Truly, it is very disheartening and disappointing because we know how much we have put into the budget process,” he said.
Senator Saraki noted the submissions of senators over their discoveries of poor budget implementation in 2017 and inconsistencies in the claims by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government during the budget defence sessions.
“By now, 2017 budget should have been implemented by up to between 40 and 60 per cent, but this has not been the case. This makes it very difficult for us, we cannot turn into magicians.
"I continue to appeal that you work within what you have and let us do our best to ensure that we have a budget that is in the interest of Nigerians.
“The executive on their part should sit up and not just make rhetoric, but get down to work. If 2017 budget items are not rolled over to 2018 that is a disaster. Let the executive show some seriousness towards the budget exercise.”
The outflow of outrage followed a point of order raised by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South, who queried the submissions made by the MDAs during the budget defense sessions.
According to Na’Allah, the pronouncements made by the president and his aides on the execution of the budget, was not reflective in the submissions being made by heads of the MDAs.
“When we suspended plenary, it was with the idea that the committees will swing into action so we can have a tentative date to pass the budget. From what I have seen, we might run into troubled waters. If we have not appreciated what the problems are, it is important for Nigerians to come here and understand what the problem is.
“The template we are using will continue to create problems for us. It was created during the Military era. The template cannot work in our country today. From reports we have had, it is obvious that we have problems.
"We need to know what the problems are. If we have a 2017 budget that has not been executed today and we are considering the 2018 budget, it means there is a problem.”
Upon the submissions to contributions by most senators, the President of the Senate, Senator Saraki, summed up the contributions with an admonishment that the executive should get its acts together.
Having listened to the Senators, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who presided, did not subject the points raised and suggestions made to any voice vote, just as a position was not taken at the end of the day.
Saraki maintained that if the executive fails to act, by rolling over the 2017 budget, it will be a disaster as the Senators are not magicians, adding, “Truly, it is very disheartening and disappointing because we know how much we have put into the budget process. How can anybody who is responsible travel at this period when the budget defence is ongoing?
“By now 2017 budget should have been implemented either 40 or 60 percent, but this has not been the case. This makes it very difficult for us, we cannot turn into magicians. I continue to appeal that you work within what you have and let us do our best to ensure that we have a budget that is in the interest of Nigerians.
“The executive on their part should sit up and not just rhetorics, but really get down to work. If 2017 budget items are not rolled over to 2018 that is a disaster. It means that most of them are misrepresenting the actual grounds to the leadership of the executive.
"If the documents are not showing that then that is a carious serious problem. Let the executive show some seriousness towards the budget exercise.”
~Vanguard
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