The Crest

Tag: Budget

  • Budget Padding: Senate Recalls Abdul Ningi from Suspension

    Budget Padding: Senate Recalls Abdul Ningi from Suspension

    The senate has recalled Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, from suspension since March.

    The upper legislative chamber recalled Ningi following a motion sponsored by Abba Moro, minority leader; Olalere Oyewumi, senator representing Osun south; and Osita Ngwu, senator representing Enugu west on Tuesday

    Ningi was suspended for three months in March for alleging that the 2024 budget was padded by N3 trillion.

    Moving the motion, Moro said the Bauchi senator has already spent two months away from the national assembly, and that there is a need for him to return to his legislative duties.

    “Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi was asked to address his allegation of budget padding against the national assembly, following a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, the chairman, senate committee on appropriations,” he said.

    “Failing to address the allegation, the senate resolved to suspend Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi for three months for violating legislative rules, misconduct and unethical behaviour for the interview he granted on BBC media on the 2024 Appropriation Act, a legislation which he was part of.

    “Senator Abdul Ahmed Ninigi, being under suspension, has spent over two months outside the precincts of the National Assembly Complex and needs to return to continue with his legislative activities as the senator representing Bauchi central senatorial district.

    “Flowing from the above, the senate minority leadership takes full responsibility for the actions of our colleague Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi and apologises on his behalf.”

    The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

  • NASS Reconvenes Saturday, after Christmas Break to Pass 2024 Budget

    NASS Reconvenes Saturday, after Christmas Break to Pass 2024 Budget

    The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed that the National Assembly will pass the 2024 Appropriation Bill on December 30 to sustain the January-December budget cycle.

    He disclosed at a session with journalists in Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State, saying all federal lawmakers would have to cut short their holidays to ensure the speedy passage of the 2024 Appropriation Bill.

    Bamidele said: “To ensure the passage of the budget, we abridged time to make all ministries, departments and agencies appear before the joint sitting of all the relevant committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

    “This has already reduced the time for the budget defence process by half rather than appearing before the Senate first and House of Representatives later. The resolution has also removed the need for harmonisation. In essence, we have been able to save time.

    “We have also been sitting beyond our regular sitting days. We have sat on Saturdays. We may even sit on Sunday as we are approaching another year. We only gave ourselves three days to go home and celebrate Christmas.

    “We are reconvening on December 29. Our hope and determination is to pass by December 30. On January 1, 2024, Mr President will have the 2024 Appropriation Bill on his desk for assent so that its implementation can take off in earnest.”

    Bamidele expressed concerns about the activities of economic saboteurs who were doing everything to keep exchange rates high against the naira or trying to make the naira unavailable to the people who kept their money in banks.

    According to him, the Federal Government “will, from next year, go after economic saboteurs who are making life difficult and unbearable for Nigerians.”

    “The Federal Government will charge, prosecute and punish them for their acts of economic sabotage.

    “All these will take place next year. In the long run, those who mopped up the naira and dollars from the markets will face the consequences of their actions. Those who mopped up the dollars to keep commodity prices high will not escape justice.

    “Those who are speculating are also on the watch list of the Federal Government. At some point, the Federal Government will have to go after them,” he said.

  • 2024 Budget: Tinubu Addresses National Assembly, Lists Defence, Security, Others As Priorities

    2024 Budget: Tinubu Addresses National Assembly, Lists Defence, Security, Others As Priorities

    President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday presented the 2024 federal budget proposal to the National Assembly, stressing that government’s top priorities were national defence and internal security, local job creation, macro-economic stability, investment environment optimisation, human capital development, poverty reduction, and social security.

    He described the document as 2024 Budget of Renewed Hope.

    Addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on in Abuja during the presentation of the 2024 Federal budget proposal, President Tinubu said the nation’s internal security architecture would be overhauled to enhance law enforcement capabilities with a view to safeguarding lives, property, and investments across the country.

    He said the proposed budget prioritizes human capital development, with particular attention given to children, because human capital remains the most critical resource for national development.

    “To improve the effectiveness of our budget performance, the government will focus on ensuring value for money, greater transparency, and accountability. In this regard, we will work more closely with development partners and the private sector.

    “To address long-standing issues in the education sector, a more sustainable model of funding tertiary education will be implemented, including the Student Loan Scheme scheduled to become operational by January 2024,” the president affirmed.

    Speaking on the economy, President Tinubu said a stable macro-economic environment was crucial in his administration’s bid to catalyze private investment and accelerate economic growth; hence, his government shall continue to implement business and investment friendly measures for sustainable growth.

    “We expect the economy to grow by a minimum of 3.76 per cent, above the forecast world average. Inflation is expected to moderate to 21.4 per cent in 2024. In preparing the 2024 Budget, our primary objective has been to sustain our robust foundation for sustainable economic development. A critical focus of this budget and the medium-term expenditure framework is Nigeria’s commitment to a greener future.

    “Emphasising public-private partnerships, we have strategically made provisions to leverage private capital for big-ticket infrastructure projects in energy, transportation, and other sectors. This marks a critical step towards diversifying our energy mix, enhancing efficiency, and fostering the development of renewable energy sources. By allocating resources to support innovative and environmentally conscious initiatives, we aim to position Nigeria as a regional leader in the global movement towards clean and sustainable energy.

    “As we approach the COP28 climate summit, a pivotal moment for global climate action, I have directed relevant government agencies to diligently work towards securing substantial funding commitments that will bolster Nigeria’s energy transition. It is imperative that we seize this opportunity to attract international partnerships and investments that align with our national goals. I call upon our representatives to engage proactively to showcase the strides we have made in the quest to create an enabling environment for sustainable energy projects.

    “Together, we will strive for Nigeria to emerge from COP28 with tangible commitments, reinforcing our dedication to a future where energy is not only a catalyst for development but also a driver of environmental stewardship,” he said.

    The president said a conservative oil price benchmark of 77.96 U.S. Dollars per barrel and a daily oil production estimate of 1.78 million barrels per day were adopted after a careful review of global oil market trends, and that a Naira to U.S. Dollar exchange rate of 750 naira per U.S. Dollar was adopted for 2024 as well.

    Giving a breakdown of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, the president said: “Accordingly, an aggregate expenditure of 27.5 trillion naira is proposed for the Federal Government in 2024, of which the non-debt recurrent expenditure is 9.92 trillion naira while debt service is projected to be 8.25 trillion naira and capital expenditure is 8.7 trillion naira. Nigeria remains committed to meeting its debt obligations. Projected debt service is 45% of the expected total revenue.

    “The budget deficit is projected at 9.18 trillion naira in 2024 or 3.88 per cent of GDP. This is lower than the 13.78 trillion naira deficit recorded in 2023, which represented 6.11 per cent of GDP. The deficit will be financed by new borrowings totaling 7.83 trillion naira, 298.49 billion naira from Privatization Proceeds, and 1.05 trillion naira draw down on multilateral and bilateral loans secured for specific development projects.”

    President Tinubu said his administration remained committed to broad-based and shared economic prosperity, adding: “We are reviewing social investment programmes to enhance their implementation and effectiveness. In particular, the National Social Safety Net project will be expanded to provide targeted cash transfers to poor and vulnerable households.”

    He also said efforts would be made to further contain financial leakages through the effective implementation of key public financial management reforms.

    The president commended the patriotic resolve of the 10th National Assembly to collaborate with the Executive on the mission to renew the hope of Nigerians and deliver on the promises made to Africa’s largest population.

    “As you consider the 2024 Budget estimates, we trust that the legislative review process will be conducted with a view to sustaining our desired return to a predictable January-December fiscal year. I have no doubt that you will be guided by the interest of all Nigerians. We must ensure that only projects and programmes with equitable benefits are allowed into the 2024 Budget. Additionally, only projects and programmes that are in line with the sectoral mandates of MDAs and those which are capable of realizing the vision of our administration should be included in the budget,” the president declared.

  •  BREAKING: FG Proposes N26trn as 2024 Budget

     BREAKING: FG Proposes N26trn as 2024 Budget

    The Federal Government is proposing the sum of N26 trillion as the 2024 budget which will be submitted to the National Assembly before December 31.

    The minister of Budget and planning, Atiku Bagudu announced the budget proposal at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday, October 16, at the presidential villa, Abuja.

  • Buhari Signs N21.83trn Budget into law, Speaks on 2023 Elections

    Buhari Signs N21.83trn Budget into law, Speaks on 2023 Elections

    President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the 2023 Budget of N21.83 trillion along with the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Bill into law.

    Speaking at the signing of the eighth and final annual budget of this administration in Abuja on Tuesday, the president said the aggregate expenditures of N21.83 trillion, is an increase of N1.32 trillion over the initial Executive Proposal for a total expenditure of N20.51 trillion.

    The president explained that the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act would enable the administration to respond to the havoc caused by the recent nationwide floods on infrastructure and agriculture sectors.

    As is customary, he said the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning would subsequently provide more details of the approved budget and the supporting 2022 Finance Act.

    ”We have examined the changes made by the National Assembly to the 2023 Executive Budget proposal.

    ”The amended fiscal framework for 2023 as approved by the National Assembly shows additional revenues of N765.79 billion, and an unfunded deficit of N553.46 billion.

    ”It is clear that the National Assembly and the executive need to capture some of the proposed additional revenue sources in the fiscal framework. This must be rectified.

    ”I have also noted that the National Assembly introduced new projects into the 2023 budget proposal for which it has appropriated N770.72 billion. The National Assembly also increased the provisions made by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by N58.55 billion.”

    President Buhari said his decision to sign the 2023 Appropriation Bill into law as passed by the National Assembly was to enable its implementation commence without delay, considering the imminent transition process to another democratically elected government.

    He, however, directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to engage with the Legislature to revisit some of the changes made to the Executive budget proposal, expressing the hope that the National Assembly would cooperate with the Executive arm of Government in that regard.

    He urged the National Assembly to reconsider its position on his proposal to securitize the Federal Government’s outstanding Ways and Means balance at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

    ”As I stated, the balance has accumulated over several years and represents funding provided by the CBN as lender of last resort to the government to enable it to meet obligations to lenders, as well as cover budgetary shortfalls in projected revenues and/or borrowings.

    ”I have no intention to fetter the right of the National Assembly to interrogate the composition of this balance, which can still be done even after granting the requested approval.

    ”Failure to grant the securitization approval will however cost the government about N1.8 trillion in additional interest in 2023 given the differential between the applicable interest rates which is currently MPR plus 3% and the negotiated interest rate of 9% and a 40year repayment period on the securitised debt of the Ways and Means.”

    To ensure more effective implementation of the 2022 capital Budget, President Buhari thanked the National Assembly for approving his request for an extension of its validity date to 31st March, 2023.

    The president directed the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to work towards early release of the 2023 capital votes to enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies commence the implementation of their capital projects in good time to support efforts to deliver key projects and public services as well as improve the living conditions of Nigerians.

    Reiterating that the 2023 Budget was developed to promote fiscal sustainability, macroeconomic stability and ensure smooth transition to the incoming administration, the president said it was also designed to promote social inclusion and strengthen the resilience of the economy.

    He pledged that adequate provisions had been made in the Budget for the successful conduct of the forthcoming general elections and the transition programme.

    On achieving revenue targets for the budget, the president directed MDAs and Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) to intensify their revenue mobilization efforts, including ensuring that all taxable organizations and individuals paid taxes due.

    To achieve the laudable objectives of the 2023 Budget, the president said, relevant agencies must sustain current efforts towards the realization of crude oil production and export targets.

    ”To augment available fiscal resources, MDAs are to accelerate the implementation of Public Private Partnership initiatives, especially those designed to fast-track the pace of our infrastructural development.

    ”This, being a deficit budget, the associated Borrowing Plan will be forwarded to the National Assembly shortly.

    ”I count on the cooperation of the National Assembly for a speedy consideration and approval of the Plan.”

    On the Finance Bill 2022, the president expressed regret that its review as passed by the National Assembly was yet to be finalized.

    ”This is because some of the changes made by the National Assembly need to be reviewed by the relevant agencies of government. I urge that this should be done speedily to enable me to assent into law,” he said.

    Those who witnessed the signing of the budget include Senate President Ahmad Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    The president thanked the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and all the leaders and members of the National Assembly for the expeditious consideration and passage of the Appropriation Bill.

    He also recognised the roles played by the Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Senior Special Assistants to the President (Senate and House of Representatives), the Office of the Chief of Staff, as well as all who worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much towards producing the 2023 Appropriation Act.

    ”As I mentioned during the presentation of the 2023 Appropriation Bill, early passage of the budget proposal is critical to ensure effective delivery of our legacy projects, a smooth transition programme and effective take-off of the incoming Administration.

    ”I appreciate the firm commitment of the 9th National Assembly to the restoration of a predictable January to December fiscal year, as well as the mutual understanding, collaboration and engagements between officials of the Executive and the Legislative arms of government.

    ”These have made the quick consideration and passage of our Fiscal bills possible over the last four years.”

    The president expressed the belief that the next administration would sustain the early presentation of the annual appropriation bill to the National Assembly to ensure its passage before the beginning of the fiscal year.

    ”I firmly believe the next administration will also sustain the current public financial management reform efforts, further improve the budgeting process, and particularly maintain the tradition of supporting its Appropriation Bills with Finance Bills designed to facilitate their implementation.

    ”To sustain and institutionalize the gains of the reforms, we must expedite action and conclude work on the Organic Budget Law for it to become operational before the end of this administration.”

    Acknowledging that ‘‘these are challenging times worldwide,’’ the president concluded his speech at the ceremony by expressing deep appreciation to Almighty God for His Grace, while commending the continuing resilience, understanding and sacrifice of Nigerians in the face of current economic challenges.

    ”As this administration draws to a close, we will accelerate the implementation of critical measures aimed at further improving the Nigerian business environment, enhancing the welfare of our people and ensuring sustainable economic growth over the medium- to long-term,” he said.

     

  • Buhari to Sign 2023 Budget Tuesday –Senate President

    Buhari to Sign 2023 Budget Tuesday –Senate President

    Barring any last minute changes, President Muhammadu Buhari will sign the 2023 appropriation bill on Tuesday, January 3.

    Senate President Ahmed Lawan confirmed this to State House correspondents on Friday after a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Lawan revealed that he discussed some national issues with Buhari, including the president’s recent additional loan request, the legislature’s support to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the general elections and the 2023 Appropriation Bill.

    He said: “We are looking forward to Mr President signing the Appropriation Bill 2023, by the grace of God, on Tuesday.

     “This because we signed the document yesterday (Thursday), having lost some time because of some anomalous figures we had in the bill presented to the National Assembly.

    “But thank God, the NASS in both chambers have passed the Appropriation Bill 2023 on Wednesday, and I’m sure that Mr President and his team, on the executive side, will work on what we have done.

    “And the first thing on Tuesday, the first official working day of the year, I believe that Mr President will be signing the Appropriation Bill 2023.”

    He lamented that the NASS would have passed the bill a week earlier had it not been for irregularities spotted in the bill.

    “We are very pleased that we have been able to, in the last four years, ensure the passage of the appropriation bills in record time before every Christmas, and Mr President had always signed before the end of the year.

    “This year, particularly, is because of the anomalous, very undesirable and unfortunate situation that we had to delay a little bit.

    “You will recall that the NASS had to cut down its Christmas recess to come back on Wednesday for the sole purpose of passing the appropriation bill which we could have passed a week before. So all the same, there’s nothing that we missed,” he further stated.

    According to him, the seamless working relationship between the executive and the legislature has regularised the signing of the appropriation bills since 2018, resulting in a “predictable January to December” budget for our country.

    On the 2023 general elections, Lawan pledged that NASS would continue to assist and support INEC to enable it deliver credible elections.

    “We also discussed the 2023 general elections. The current NASS has always supported the executive in terms of ensuring that INEC gets whatever is necessary for it to work to ensure that elections are supported, that INEC doesn’t lack in anything.

    “So we have committed ourselves to ensuring that we give INEC whatever it needs for it to conduct a very free, transparent and credible 2023 general elections.

    “We are here at all times between now and June 11 when our term will also expire as a legislature in the NASS.

    “But before then, whatever INEC needs for 2023 to be a success, we will surely and certainly provide such support,” he said.

    Source: NAN

     

  • Buhari Presents 2023 Budget Estimates to NASS Friday

    Buhari Presents 2023 Budget Estimates to NASS Friday

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday present the 2023 budget estimates to the joint session of the National Assembly by 10 a.m.

    This is contained in a letter Buhari wrote to the President of Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, and read at plenary on Tuesday.

    Lawan said the venue for presentation of the 2023 budget estimates by Buhari would be at the temporary chamber of the House of Representatives.

    According to him, arrangements would be made to accommodate all the senators, adding that senators would proceed to the venue in procession.

    Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said the federal government was proposing an aggregate expenditure of N19.76 trillion for the 2023 fiscal year.

    The minister who made this known at the 2023-2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) interaction with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, however said she might not be able to make provision for treasury funded capital projects in the 2023 fiscal year.

    Ahmed also said the budget deficit for the 2023 fiscal year might be between N11.30 trillion and N12.41 trillion, depending on the choice that would be made by the federal government on the issue of fuel subsidy payment.

    She stated that the federal government was projecting total revenue of N8.46 trillion, out of which N1.9 trillion was expected to come from oil-related sources while the balance would come from non-oil sources.

    Ahmed explained that the benchmark crude oil price was pegged at 70 dollars per barrel and at an exchange rate of N435.57 to a dollar, oil production was put at 1.69 million barrel per day, real Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth was projected at 3.7 per cent while inflation was put at 17.16 per cent in the MTEF.

    She said petrol subsidy would remain up to mid-2023, based on the 18-month extension announced early 2021, in which case only N3.36 trillion would be provided for it in next financial year.

    The minister also pointed out that Nigeria had been able to consistently without defaulting, service her debt, adding that the country did not have any projections even in the near future, to fail in its debt obligation.

    Speaking further, Ahmed said although the amount currently used to service the country’s debt had overshot what was appropriated for in the budget, measures had been put in place to manage the situation.

    Source: NAN

  • ASUU Strike: Reps Wade in, Summon Ngige, DG Budget Office, AGF, SGF

    ASUU Strike: Reps Wade in, Summon Ngige, DG Budget Office, AGF, SGF

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila has invited the Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige and several others to appear before the lawmakers on Thursday next week. 

    Gbajabiamila said at the resumed fact-finding meeting on the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Universities (ASUU), that invited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan; the Accountant General of the Federation; Director General, Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission; the Director General Budget Office are also invited

    As part of the push to resolve the lingering ASUU strike, Gbajabiamila, alongside his deputy, Ahmed Idris Wase and other leaders of the House on Thursday met with the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS),  the chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta, among other government officials.

    Thursday’s meeting was a sequel to an earlier one the Speaker held with ASUU officials on Tuesday where issues related to the strike were discussed.

    The outcome of Tuesday’s meeting led the House leadership to invite the Head of Service, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, and the Accountant General of the Federation, among others.

    “At Thursday’s meeting, NITDA told the House leadership that the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), and the University Peculiar Personnel and Payroll System (U3PS) failed its integrity tests regarding the university payroll, which the agency conducted between March and JUNE this year,” the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Lanre Lasisi, said in a statement.

    “According to a NITDA official at the meeting, the government directed the agency to test UTAS in October 2020, adding that the platform failed the two integrity tests conducted on it.

    “He said following the first test, ASUU was asked to go back and review, which it did. Yet, the platform did not meet NITDA’s requirements the second time.

    “For the third time, NITDA was then asked to conduct tests on UTAS, IPPIS, and U3PS, which the official said all three platforms failed its requirements regarding the payroll system of universities.”

    Lasisi added that “Not satisfied with the explanation, Speaker Gbajabiamila asked if NITDA advised the government to take action on the lapses found on IPPIS, which has been in operation by the government since 2011. But the NITDA official said they were not in a position to do that.

    “Gbajabiamila also asked if NITDA queried the IPPIS platform, to which the official responded in the negative.

    Deputy Speaker Wase also expressed reservations at NITDA’s action, saying it ought to have advised the government on the appropriate action to take in view of its discovery on IPPIS.

    “But the Head of Service, in her explanation, said the ministry of communications and digital economy wrote her office following NITDA’s observations about IPPIS on the need to take a holistic look at the platform and that a committee was empaneled to carry out the assignment.

    “She also noted that IPPIS is not just a payment platform but that it also has a human resource component, which all government agencies have been directed to activate, noting that all those directly under her purview have since complied.

    “Also, the chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Mr Nta, told the House leadership that in view of the general agitation in the tertiary education sector, the agency advised the government to look at the possibility of increasing the salaries of the staff in the entire sector, comprising universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

    “He said, however, that at the end of the day, the government decided to increase the salaries of lecturers in the universities by a certain percentage, while professors were considered for higher percentage.

    “He said he was not aware of any agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU for salary increment.

    “Also speaking at the meeting, the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Sylva Okolieaboh, said under no circumstance should employees dictate to their employers how they should be paid, faulting ASUU’s insistence on UTAS.

    “After hours of deliberations, the Speaker suggested that a further follow-up meeting with ASUU officials be held on Thursday next week, which the stakeholders subscribed to. The meeting was, therefore, adjourned to Thursday next week.”

  • Presidency: No Crisis Over Budget Between Buhari and Lawmakers; There’ll Be None

    Presidency: No Crisis Over Budget Between Buhari and Lawmakers; There’ll Be None

    State House Press Statement

    PRESIDENCY: NO CRISIS OVER BUDGET BETWEEN EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATURE, THERE WILL BE NONE 

    -REPORTS OF BUHARI ANGER WITH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FICTIONAL.

     

    The Presidency wishes to clear the air regarding the widely-viewed/reported episode on Friday, December 31st at the State House during the signing of the 2022 Budget and Finance Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari; specifically on the insertion in the 2022 Appropriation Act, of 6,576 new schemes worth about N37 billion by the National Assembly.

    While it is true that the President expressed disagreement with these and many of the other alterations, including the “reduction in the provisions for many strategic capital projects to introduce ‘Empowerment Projects’,” innumerable lies are being spread about the President being “angry” at, had “blasted” or “lashed out” at the Parliament. This cannot be farther from the truth.

    As the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan said shortly after the budget-signing ceremony, disagreements as the ones listed by the President are normal in the everyday Executive-Parliamentary relationship because, as he explained, “executive and legislative judgements don’t always have to be the same.”

    While we note that there are people who are trying to create a fiasco between the two arms of government on account of the budget, we assure that they will, in the end, be disappointed. The Executive and the 9th National Assembly have since moved away from the wild, destructive political games of the past, conducting themselves in a way that puts national interest supreme in their decisions. We doubt if there is a patriotic citizen who wants to see the return of the operating environment engendered by the 8th Senate when an elected government was held in chains, held hostage to the desperate political ambitions of a clique, and the public denied needed services including that which impinged on national security. Happily, the 9th National Assembly is more about policy than politics.

    Under the constitution, both arms of government are coequal and at the same time, independent and interdependent. The rule of the game is cooperation and the President, as a democrat fully accepts this.

    Rationale for Assenting to the 2022 Appropriation Act:

    Mr. President was clear and candid in expressing his reservations with the numerous changes to the 2022 Budget made by the National Assembly, which would hamper its implementation. However, to respond to critics that question why assent to the Budget if it was so severely tampered with, we wish to respond as follows:

    (1) Need to Save Value-Additive Projects, Programs & Policies:

    Although over 10,733 projects were reduced and 6,576 new projects were introduced into the budget by the National Assembly, there are tens of thousands more provisions in the 2022 Budget, all of which, when efficiently and effectively implemented, will have significant developmental impact on the lives and livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

    Given Mr. President’s commitment to improving the lot of the Common Man, it was felt that it would not be wise to throw away the baby with the bathwater. Ongoing Capital Projects, Critical Recurrent Votes, Priority New Projects – all feature in the 2022 Budget and Mr. President’s forbearance in assenting to the Budget will save these provisions from implementation delays and other challenges.

    (2) Dealing with Modern Democratic Norms:

    President Buhari is a democrat who deeply believes in the supremacy of the Constitution, with its checks and balances across the three arms of Government. In terms of the passage of legislations like the Appropriation Act and other Money Bills, the National Assembly has equal responsibilities with the Executive. Indeed, if Mr. President had declined assent to the 2022 Appropriation Bill, the National Assembly has powers to override the President’s veto if they can drum up a 2/3 majority vote. This is the constitution. Happily, this situation has not arisen during the tenure of Mr. President’s Administration, and the Executive’s relationship with the Leadership of the 9th National Assembly is much improved over what happened with the 8th National Assembly. It is on account of his confidence in the strength of this excellent working relationship that Mr. President has directed that an Amendment Budget Proposal should be prepared and submitted to the National Assembly, once they return from their recess. It is hoped that the National Assembly will carefully consider and approve the 2022 Amendment Budget Proposals, once presented to them in due course, for the benefit of all Nigerians.

    It is important therefore that, in place of “anger” or confrontation, President Buhari showed the democracy-loving side of his personality as he signed the budget at the same time calling for dialogue with the parliament to resolve the contentious issues.

    The Presidency under Muhammadu Buhari and the parliament under Lawal and Gbajabiamila are committed to a good neighborly relationship and this or any other disagreement between the two arms of government will not alter the dynamics of that relationship.

     

    Garba Shehu

    Senior Special Assistant to the President

    (Media & Publicity)

    January 2, 2022

  • BREAKING: Buhari to Present 2022 Budget to National Assembly on Thursday

    BREAKING: Buhari to Present 2022 Budget to National Assembly on Thursday

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday present the 2022 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, disclosed this on Tuesday while presiding over the plenary as the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was absent.

    Before the announcement, Senator Omo-Agege informed the lawmakers that President Buhari has submitted the revised 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP).

    In a letter addressed to the Senate, the President urged the lawmakers to approve the planning documents which he said would form the basis and assumptions in the 2022 budget.

    He stated that the revision reflected the new fiscal terms in the recently enacted Petroleum Industry Act and the 2022 Appropriation Bill.

    The revision, according to President Buhari, will reflect funds for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare for the 2023 general elections.

    He explained that it also has provisions for hazard allowance for health workers, wage adjustment for workers, and funds for the population and housing census in 2022.

    The present administration has been making effort to ensure the appropriation bill for the following year is promptly submitted, as part of its commitment to the January to December budget cycle.

    President Buhari had presented a proposed 2021 Budget of N13.08 trillion, to the National Assembly on October 8, 2021.

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com