When President Buhari presented that ‘Budget of change’ to the
National Assembly on the 22nd of December, 2015 my thoughts were that one
can bet one’s bottom dollar (in this case Naira), that it is Uhuru. The
budget looked so promising with 30% proposed to be expended on capital
projects. It looked a lot like a budget that promises so much for the man
on the streets, what with the hope of improved infrastructures et al. It
looked like we finally were shifting away from the norm.
I started to get uncomfortable when rumours started having it that the
content of the budget proved nothing really changed. The figures and
projects that were being bandied about were just unbelievable,
uncomfortable and ‘unBuharic’.
The disagreement between Ministers and top civil servants on sums allotted
to their ministers and ‘sources’ at the Presidency blaming a budget Mafia
on the discrepancies confirmed my fears. It is now clear that the National
budget has always been a source of cleaning out our common wealth for some
criminals within the civil service for like eons. Our National budgets
have always been a copy and paste of monumental heist, back to back.
Good thing the National Assembly postponed voting on the budget citing
“ambiguities and paddings”.
It is quite outlandish that at a time like this when we are struggling as
a Nation, with the drop in oil prices, we are planning to be wasteful.
These are hard times which obviously is not the President fault, but
proposing this kind of budget for 2016 is whimsical to say the least.
I am an ardent supporter of this administration and I express my total
disappointment that no one in the presidency took time to peruse, even
sparsely, the content of that Budget. That Budget goes against everything
President Buhari stands for.
This budget is a total mess from the allocation for books for the Vice
President, medical expenses at the villa to spending millions on cables
and all. That is pure nugatory!
This government is supposed to be moving away from the old order, not
continuing the impunity we just booted away and that is why it kills me
again that nobody cared to take a proper look at it before it was
presented to the National assembly.
Common,it is non-essential, spending hundreds of millions of Naira on
renovations and furnishing of the Presidential villa. As kleptomaniac as
the last government was, I do not think they would be petty enough to
empty the state house like they did our treasury. That’s not their
style, that’s measly for them. So what are we supposed to be
refurbishing at the villa? There are other areas 3 billion Naira can be
channelled into to benefit Nigerians.
I love this country and believe so much in this administration, I still
maintain that President Buhari is the right man to take us out of the
quagmire we have perpetually found ourselves.This government has my total
support and I have to prove that by voicing out when I see a faux pas.
One positive from this fiasco however is the fact that everyone is now
interested in the National budget.Now we know we’ve been played by the
criminals in the civil service over the years! Hitherto, nobody cared
about it.The racketeering that has been going on for years has been
unravelled and that, my friends is wonderful.
I said before the elections that the General would come in to clean this
Augean stable.This is one stench that he has stumbled on, albeit
unknowingly, that needs proper cleansing.Our budgetary process needs some
restructuring ,say set up a budget think tank that would specialize in
budget issues alone,so we do not ever get swindled again.
I know we have a listening President and that’s why PMB as a matter of
urgency needs to withdraw that budget, properly revise it and give us the
budget of change we deserve. That’s not all. He also has to tender an
apology to the nation as he cannot be absolved of any blame (at least
complacency) even with the budget Mafia being largely responsible. The
buck stops at his table.
That’s not all. He just cannot assume that every part of this government
is conforming to his now famous body language. There are people who have
corruption in their DNA (especially in the civil service) who cannot help
but always pull a fast one on Nigeria.President Buhari has to identify
this ‘budget Mafia’ and kill it before it kills us.
Something has got to give for this National embarrassment. Heads have to
roll irrespective of whose it is.
Chiechefulam Ikebuiro
thalynxis@yahoo.ca
@thalynxis