Nigeria
Senate has expressed concerns over bogus annual budget without commensurate
implementation as the debate for 2018 appropriation bill begins on Tuesday.
The
N8,612,236,953,214 (Eight trillion, Six Hundred and Twelve Billion, Two Hundred
and Thirty-six million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand,Two Hundred and
Fourteen Naira budget drew the ire of the upper chambers, who said that there
was poor implementation of 2017 appropriation.
The two
critical issues that dominated Tuesday’s debate, DAILY POST observed were
implementation and cost analysis of the 2017 appropriation considered as the
worst by the Senate in Nigeria’s history.
As Senators
took turns to contribute, Ben Murray Bruce stressed the need to cut costs. He
emphatically said, some government agencies have outgrown their usefulness. He
was emphatic that the Voice of Nigeria (VON), National Orientation Agency
(NOA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Nigeria Television
Authority (NTA) be sold to the staff of those agencies so that they could be
properly managed. “Mr President, distinguished colleagues, let us look at
agencies that makes no sense, FRCN, sell it.
The staff of FRCN has 8,000 workers. Sell it.
Sell NTA to the staff. Who listens to Voice of Nigeria again?” “The staff
should form cooperative society and buy them like Chief Obafemi Awolowo did in
those days.”
While
budget implementation analysis was divided along party lines, there was
unanimity that some irrelevant agencies should be scrapped. Senator Gbenga
Ashafa said that implementation of 2017 appropriation was 37%, adding that
government was set to overcome those hiccups that were responsible for the
abysmal performance.
He
commended the government for capturing South East in railway proposals in the
current budget. In his ruling, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu
emphasised that those government media institutions and other agencies not
relevant may be scrapped. Budget debate continues on Wednesday.
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