The President’s plan for a speedy passage of the 2018 budget suffered a major setback yesterday.
Senators returned from their two-week recess to launch a bitter criticism of the budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 7.
The plan is to bring back the January to December budget cycle.
The lawmakers dumped the document and asked the Executive to roll over the 2017 budget till March 2018.
They also complained of the “abysmal” 15-20 per cent performance of this year’s budget.
But the Executive said ministries and agencies had not been starved of funds. Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun said N1.2tr had been released for capital projects.
This year’s budget was signed into law in May by then Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
The senators, who used the two-week recess to screen the budget estimates of ministries and departments, dismissed the entire document.
All Progressives Congress (APC) senators led the attack.
Senate President Bukola Saraki scolded the executive, saying it “really needs to sit up”.
He added: “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?
He did not name the official who travelled.
Saraki went on: “The budget has not been implemented. We cannot be magicians. We just have to work and give a good budget to Nigerians. If they have refused to roll over the 2017 projects into 2018, it is a disaster. We have to work with what we have.”
The lawmakers took turns to criticise the performance of this year’s budget, noting what they called extremely low releases by the Ministry of Finance for capital projects.
They insisted that the promised passage of the 2018 budget before the end of the year was no longer feasible.
The senators said Buhari’s promise that 40 per cent of the 2017 budget would be achieved before the end of the year while the balance of 60 per cent would be rolled over to 2018, had not been kept.
The lawmakers were also irked by the observation that Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) attained 15-20 per cent 2017 budget performance.
This, they said, was despite repeated assurances by the executive funds will be released.
For them, Mrs Adeosun’s declaration that N750 billion had been released was questionable.
Many of those who contributed to the debate wanted the lifespan of the 2017 budget to be extended to March 31, next year.
The debate of the performance of the 2017 budget followed a closed-door session where the lawmakers were also said to have bared their minds.
Deputy Senate Leader Bala Ibn Na’Allah started the barrage of criticisms with a point of order.
Na’Allah cited Order 42 and 45 of the Senate Standing Rules to buttress his point.
The Kebbi South lawmaker told his colleagues that the plan to pass the 2018 budget before the end of 2017 was no longer feasible due to prevailing circumstances.
He warned that the prevailing template of the budget will continue to pose serious challenges to the Federal Government in the implementation of the budget.
Na’Allah noted that the template was developed and adopted during the Military era specifically when Kalu Idika Kalu was Finance minister.
He said the issue should be extensively discussed to proffer solutions.
Na’Allah said: “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 President told us that the 2017 budget was going to achieve at least 60 per cent performance. Today, that has not happened. We need to lay this issue and discuss it. Let us put the facts before the Executive and show Nigerians the difficulties we are facing.”
Senator Barnabas Gemade suggested that the consideration of the 2018 budget be suspended.
He also suggested that the lifespan of the 2017 budget be extended to end of March, next year.
Gemade said: “Our two weeks committee work should have led us to where we will lay the report and pass the budget. As was indicted, we need to appreciate the efforts of the executive who is trying to return the budget year from January to December.
“What we have seen is far from the 40 per cent capital project implementation we were told. In many MDAs, budget performance is hovering between 12 to 15 per cent. In early November, the borrowing plans were brought and we approved it. They said they were going to release more funds. As of now, we cannot say if that is true.
“In defending the budget, MDAs are supposed to bring their 2017 budget performance to committees. When you look at the budget proposals brought here, many things captured in the 2017 budget were not rolled over. Committees and MDAs need to do some work.
“We have to set a date for the implementation of the 2017 budget based on the borrowing plans we approved. I therefore propose that we set March 31st for the 2017 budget to be implemented before we can start working on the 2018 budget. We need to guide against abandonment of ongoing projects.”
Senator Solomon Adeola wondered why the Senate should consider and approve the 2018 budget, when the performance of the 2017 budget is unknown.
The Lagos West senator prayed the Senate to invite Minister of Finance Adeosun to brief the chamber on the troubling low performance of the budget and why her ministry is not releasing funds.
Topic: Nigeria 2018 budget suffers major setback (Read 1895 times)
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August 30, 2015, 04:07:58 PM