November 11 , 2007

 

PRESS RELEASE

BUDGET 2007: LEGION OF BROKEN PROMISES

The 2007 Budget, the first appropriation bill of President Umaru Yaradua, has validated the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties{CNPP}’s position that the seven point-agenda of the administration is one of those plethora of declaration of good intent and broken promises that characterized the past eight years.

While Nigerians are yet to recover from the reversal of policies and crass somersault from the regime, over issues like the principle of the rule of law, due process and the doctrine of separation of powers; the alarm rang, when the budget scratched the tip of the iceberg and in some instances abandoned the proclaimed emergency in the power sector, Niger Delta, railways and host of other items that form the main kernels of the seven- point-agenda.

It could be recalled that while the Ettehgate inferno was raging, the regime hid under the canopy of separation of powers and allowed the crisis to not only delay the presentation of the 2008 Budget, but the untimely death of Hon Aminu Safana,and when the regime got threatened over the remarkable judgements emanating from the Election Petition Tribunals, it abandoned the doctrine of separation of powers and insulted and intimidated the judiciary.

A detailed study of the budget and Mr President’s address shows clearly that with the N114.4 billion, if ever fully utilized, the amount cannot make major impact in the depth of decay in the power sector and cannot jump start an emergency in the power sector. Reliance on direct foreign investment in the power sector has been the utopian joker of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} in the preceding years. The result is nothing but day dreaming, for it is common knowledge that only the oil sector attracts any substantial direct foreign investment. On what premise then did Mr President predicate this item in the seven –point-agenda? Were there no indices on which the government  anchors its programme? Or is impossible to negotiate with the other tiers to use the excess crude account to finance power projects?

Secondly, on the Niger Delta, the transformation of the troubled region requires nothing but massive infrastructure, human capital development and environmental sanitation, not armament. Emphasis on armament as illustrated in the budget, unfortunately not only gives an impression of lack of appreciation of the calamity in the region, but declaration of war, a war that is akin to using sledgehamer to mess a brotherhood.

Thirdly, CNPP is appalled that no mention was made about railways, for a regime that aspires to catapult the country into the big league, as boasted in the mantra of the regime, among the first twenty biggest economy in the world. We were at a loss what happened to the continuity credo of the regime, for we recall that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo once invested huge resources in the $8.3 billion rail contract -- Lagos-Kano route. While we were eagerly waiting for the award of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri route, only to be told that the one already awarded has been abandoned. The painful aspect is that no mention was made about the huge fund spent on the the Chinese on the project. It means we are stuck with the roads.

Whereas, we queried such outrageous over invoicing, as record shows that the Chinese used $4.2 billion to execute 4000 km rail line; however we are not convinced that the $13 billion left in the illegal and unauthorised account of the crude oil account is transparent.

CNPP notes with dismay the return to domestic and external borrowing to augment budget deficit, while no mention was made to utilize avenues like the United Nation’s Stolen Assets Recovery{ StAR} initiative, to recover looted funds from the former president and governors. If EFCC can recover over $700 million from late General Sani Abacha, who ruled when oil sold below $10 per barrel, only God knows how much can be recovered from the predators of the past eight years, if President Yaradua is not shielding them?

We disagree with the false proclaimation that a country where more than 70% of the populace are leaving below poverty line is one of the fastest growing economy in the world, it is an orchestra of deception. President Yaradua should stop the orchestra of deception, it cannot lead us anywhere, for he can only deceive us for sometime and not all the time.

We also disagree that with concerted, well honed and genuine plan, that other tiers of government cannot agree to utilize the excess crude account to fund vital projects like electricity, railways and Niger Delta? On this score we call on President Yaradua to disclose the true status of the excess crude account, which we were severally assured,   was reserved for the rainy day. How much is left, who got what, when and how?

CNPP is of the candid view that at this trajectory of our development; we do not need Servant- Leader; but Decisive- Leader, with vision, purpose and unalloyed committment.

Finally, good Samaritan was not recorded in the Bible out of good intention only and regrettably broken promises have kept Nigerians poor,desolate,despondent and made us worthless, to the extent that we lost the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games, because of poor infrastructure and eroded image.

 

Osita Okechukwu

National Publicity Secretary

CNPP

08039738870