The Federal Government yesterday said full implementation of the 2016 budget which was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday, was still possible.
The government said it was working to make this possible in spite of the delay in the passage of the budget.
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma, had on Friday, while addressing State House correspondents said that in spite of the late signing of the 2016 budget, the administration was targeting 100 per cent implementation.
“Our aim will always be 100 per cent implementation. We know that because we started late we may not achieve it but 100 per cent achievement is our aim. `We start with that aim because the budget is a law and we try to implement it as quickly as we can,’’ the minister had said.
A section of the media however quoted the minister to have ruled out full implementation of the budget, citing its timing.
Udoma in a statement on Saturday however clarified that the government had not ruled out the 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget.
The minister in a statement by his media adviser, Mr Akpandem James, assured that “the Federal Government aims, and will be working, to achieve 100 per cent implementation of the 2016 budget in spite of the late signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill.
“This clarification becomes necessary to clear the misrepresentation by some newspapers that full implementation of the budget has been ruled out because of the late start,” he said.
Udoma explained, that while responding to questions from State House correspondents on Friday, he had “conceded that the late approval might constrain full implementation of the budget,” but that he had, at the same time, said “the Federal Government intends to still try its best to achieve 100 per cent implementation.”
According to him, at no time did he rule out the possibility of full implementation as indicated by some newspapers.
Also speaking on the 2016 budget yesterday, Prof. Park Idisi of the Department of Agriculture, University of Abuja, said the 2016 budget would increase exports that would strengthen the country’s currency.
Idisi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that although the naira had lost its value against the dollar and other foreign currencies, it would soon gain its strength through exports.
He said that the 2016 budget signed by President Buhari would alleviate hardship as there would be cash flow in the economy and businesses would start booming.
“The government’s physical operations will commence again, such as road constructions, agriculture and other important projects that will create job opportunities for the youths.
“The budget was first of its kind in the history of Nigeria, it will touch every sector and even producers of goods and services will get patronage.
“Although the budget was signed late by the president, many activities will soon commence,’’ he said.
Idisi recalled that the president had said that Nigeria would no longer borrow part of the money needed for the budget as he was able to raise funds from other sources.
“Mr President said that he has gotten enough capital for the budget, which means the budget will be run on a balance and surplus platform.”
He urged the Federal Government to start preparation for the 2017 budget to avoid delay that occurred in this year’s budget.
The Secretary General, African Iron and Steel Association, Alhaji Sanusi Mohammed, noted that the 2016 budget did not provide any capital allocation for the entire steel sector and urged the president to present a supplementary budget within the year to rectify the anomaly.
Programme Officer, Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr Hashim Salawudeen, said that the budget came at the time when preparation for the 2017 budget should have started.
He said that lessons had been learnt from the 2016 budget and advised the government to guard against the blunder of padded budget in the future.
Expert tasks Nigerians on proper implementation monitoring
Former special adviser to the president on Budget Monitoring and Price Intelligence Unit (BMPIU), Prof. Kunle Wahab, has tasked Nigerians on the need to monitor the proper implementation of the budget.
He said this in Abuja on Saturday while reacting to the recent signing of the 2016 Appropriation Bill into law by President Buhari.
Wahab told newsmen that failure of appropriate implementation of past budgets oftentimes arose because of the absence of proper monitoring by all concerned.
He said that all the projects the Federal Government set to carry out using the 2016 budget were commendable but that the responsibility to ensure that they were all implemented lay with citizens.
“Everyone is government and not only those in governance, what can each one of us do to profitably execute the intentions of the government? Everybody said they were waiting for the blueprint of the government, well now you have got it.
“Look at it and ensure that they do what they said they will do. The good thing is the ministers have all agreed to be queried at one point or the other and even the National Assembly says it will abide by what is in the budget,” he said.
Wahab also charged the opposition to be on the lookout to criticise the implementation of the budget constructively to propel the government to do the right thing that the lateness in assenting to the provisions of the budget was not in any way going to hamper its implementation.
He, however, said that machineries should be put in motion to begin execution of policies.
Acting Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Mr Ahmed Abdu, said that the bureau would be very instrumental in the implementation of the budget and that it would also help to ensure its judicious use.
According to him, the 2016 budget though larger than that of previous years, would provide infrastructure to the people.
PMB to deliver paper at London anti-corruption summit
President Muhammadu Buhari will Tuesday, May 10, 2016 travel to London to participate in the international Anti-Corruption Summit which will be held in the British capital on Thursday, May 12, 2016.
As an internationally recognised leader in the global fight against corruption, President Buhari will play a prominent part in the summit which will be hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron of Great Britain with many other heads of state and government in attendance.
According to a statement by his special adviser, Media, Femi Adesina,President Buhari will, ahead of the summit’s opening, deliver a keynote address titled: “Why We Must Tackle Corruption Together” at a pre-summit conference of development partners, the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, Transparency International and other civil society groups on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
The President is one of the world leaders scheduled to speak at the opening session of the Anti-Corruption Summit with others, including Prime Minister Cameron and the President of the World Bank, Dr Jim Yong Kim.
Thereafter, President Buhari will join other participating heads of state and government at special plenary sessions on “Exposing Corruption, Tackling Corruption and Driving out Corruption.”
In his address to the summit and interactions with other participating leaders, President Buhari will urge the international community to move faster on the dismantling of safe havens for the proceeds of corruption and the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.
The president will also reaffirm his administration’s unwavering commitment to the fight against corruption and the federal government’s readiness to partner with international agencies and other countries to identify, apprehend and punish corrupt public officials.
