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Budget Impasse Grounds Businesses, As Nigerians React

By Godwin Ijediogor (News Editor) and Samson Ezea
12 February 2016   |   11:15 pm
AS controversy continues to trail this year’s budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, especially regarding the padding of some appropriations, the Nigerian economy appears to be grinding to a halt, with the cost of items rising, amidst biting cash crunch and unfavourable foreign exchange (forex).
Buhari

Buhari

• Not Beyond Redemption, Says Buhari Group
• Babatope, Okorie, Nwosu, Esele Urge Quick Resolution

AS controversy continues to trail this year’s budget proposal submitted to the National Assembly for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, especially regarding the padding of some appropriations, the Nigerian economy appears to be grinding to a halt, with the cost of items rising, amidst biting cash crunch and unfavourable foreign exchange (forex).

While most Nigerians complain of cash squeeze and importers suffer forex scarcity, the non-passage and indeed impasse over the Appropriation Bill (Budget Proposal) and indefinite adjournment of proceedings by the National Assembly (NASS) is adding to the anxiety.

The National Coordinator of Buhari Media Support Group, (BMSG), Muhammad Labbo, told The Guardian yesterday that the development was quite unfortunate, but not beyond redemption.

Labbo said: “Transparency is the guiding philosophy of the Buhari administration, therefore, he would not be part of anything to encourage fraud in any form, let alone anybody using this year’s budget to gain private profits.”

“This is a people’s budget and the budget would ensure nothing untoward derails it. This issue is a temporary hiccup.”Concerning who was responsible for the padding, Labbo said, at this stage, the primary preoccupation of the Presidency is getting the budget passed.

“Nigerians are aware that in the early stages of this problem, the President admitted the errors and amended the budget and re-submitted it.”

“The buck stops at the President’s desk and he is leaving no stone unturned in addressing this issue once and for all.” “If anybody surreptitiously padded the budget for private gain, such people are wasting their time, as the President would deal with any fraud that crept into the budget.”

“He promised to run a government founded on accountability and anybody that breaches this principle in the preparation of the budget would ultimately be found out and dealt with accordingly,” he said.

Former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, said the Presidency and the NASS should be mindful of the fact that Nigerians are suffering now, like never before, noting that delaying the budget correction and passage is not in the best interest of Nigerians, who are now finding it extremely difficult to have three square meals a day.

National Chairman of the United Peoples Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, described the impasse as a welcome development, urging the NASS members to quickly address the anomalies discovered in the proposal to pave way for urgent passage.

To former president general of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, the NASS should courageously and patiently look into the budget draft critically, identify all the lapses and work with the executive to produce a workable budget for the country as soon as possible.

“They have to make the passage of the budget a priority, after all, the padding has been removed. The economy is at a standstill now. Individuals and business organisations cannot plan because there is no economic direction.”

“Any further delay in passing the budget may be catastrophic, because Nigerians are running out of patience,” Esele said. On his part, National Chairman of the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, said he is not surprised that the ‘Budget of Change’ is fast becoming ‘Budget of Embarrassment.’

Foreseeing danger in the budget fiasco, Nwosu stated that dealing with issues in piecemeal and being distracted by the issues of the moment merely stops all of us from exploring the bigger picture.

“Yes, this year’s budget has been subjected to all forms of bizarre games, overt and covert manipulations, to serve persons and some cults.”

“At a point, it was reported that the budget was missing, so it was lost and was found. It has also been said to have been miscalculated, and then was adjusted. Then rumours of smuggling in fresh items and finally the mafia within the establishment got the damn thing padded. This much is in the public space.”

“But you can wonder what the ministers of Finance, as well as Budget and Planning are struggling with.”
“The reality is that when it comes to culture of impunity, what is readily visible to the naked eyes is barely 25 per cent of the full spectrum. It is only a tip of the iceberg; the humongous mass is usually buried in the deep sea.”

“There is poverty, exchange rate is high, because foreign currencies are in high demand, we do not export and do not produce our needs either.”

“So it is important that we do not dwell too much on the fog in the atmosphere, rather we need to x-ray the climate as a whole to make better sense,” Nwosu said.

Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Ibuchukwu Ezike, described the situation as an “embarrassing development.”

To him, from the current allegation, which is a novel and scientific approach to corruption, it is clear that the budget is a “package of mischievous, deceptive and dubious figures.”

Ezike added: “CLO does not only condemn this reprehensible act, but also demands that appropriate constitutional provisions against such gigantic fraud be invoked without delay, so that people could caution themselves and rest the rules.”

He maintained that copying the old system by the present administration meant that there was no change, as being claimed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), especially when nothing is done differently from the old order.

“Suppose the NASS didn’t discover these frauds, wouldn’t the huge sums secretly run into private pockets?”Across the country, life is becoming unbearable for the average Nigerian and even the wealthy. Apart from the global economic crunch, low earnings from oil sale have meant liquidity problems for the government.

Already, some businesses are either shutting down or downsizing to remain afloat, with none contemplating any pay rise for workers at the moment.

Nigerians had expected a relief from the quick passage of the budget to free the cash crunch, but the current scenario is complicating things for Nigerians and businesses alike.

2 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    “Nigerians” are in for trouble! This is the power of “almajiri”. Four wasted years in the offing! Where are the prophets?

    • Author’s gravatar

      JUST RE-POSTED:

      Mbaka: Buhari’s comrade in mind manipulation

      Just 15 days ago this priest Mbaka assured Nigerians that: “What is happening now is seasonal; it is just a harmattan period, in no distant time this season will

      equally pass away. Nigeria will inhale better air.“We are passing through a

      season of decay into another season of blessing.’’-Mbaka.

      After going through his message, I made a summary of what he seems to be saying and equally stated the obvious (his manipulation). Then I went forward to tell Nigerians prophetically what to expect all through Buhari’s regime.

      Read my post bellow 15 days ago:

      “Mbaka has told Nigerians his wishes outlined in his prayer lists. He came to offer prayers for success, peace, spiritual revival, economic revamp, integral wellness and moral probity. All these are good wishes from the priest and never messages from the Lord to Nigerians. In his view “President Buhari is on a good mission and has a vision for the country,” yet the priest placed the responsibilities on the citizens when he stated this “for which God will make the citizens proud to achieve.” Since the priest was lying he placed the citizens as the proud achievers through God. Hence, it is no more Mr. president holding all the instruments of the states at his disposal that will achieve, but us. Although according to him, Mr. president is on a good mission and has a vision for the country which only the citizens should achieve through God. If at the end of the day no success the citizens bear the blames for failure not the president. This is a subtle manner Mbaka intends to sell to us his views and wishes as the will and messages from God. After all these his wishes and prayers, he subtly introduced what seems to be the prophecy he has, this: “God of Peace will enthrone peace in all geopolitical zones of the country.”

      Nigerians listen to my own prophesy: There will be confusion, disunity and immense hardship all through Buhari’s period of leadership. Not my wish but what Nigerians will witness because Buhari has no good mission nor vision for the country.”-END.

      Today again, Mbaka seems to be shifting ground gradually with his new position. From the article it was stated: “He asked Nigerians to brace up for tougher times this year due to the economic hardship. However, he urged them to be patient, prayerful and hard-working, adding that things would later improve. He also called for support for the Buhari administration’s

      anti-corruption fight. “New crises are going to come up. But at the end,there

      will be peace. Peace will be terbanacled at the epicentre of this country,to

      handle any crisis no matter how benign, malignant, barbaric or even satanic it

      will appear like. God says He will be in charge. In 2013, there was a prophecy

      that there was going to be an oil doom after the oil boom. And when that

      message came out from this ground, many started calling me a prophet of doom.”

      MY QUESTION:

      When exactly will these sufferings be over for Nigerians during this Buhari’s regime? Mbaka should tell Nigerians specifically. At the first quarter, middle

      or end of this year: or is it going to end by the year 2017, year 2018 or 2019?

      Let him tell Nigerians exactly when, instead of this mind manipulation and

      carefully studying the situation called prophecy.

      But I repeat prophetically: There will remain confusion, disunity and immense hardship all through Buhari’s regime. Not my wish but what Nigerians will witness because Buhari has no good mission nor vision for the country.

      The only things that can change these things from continuing are: 1) Buhari must admit openly he has been manipulating the system instead of proffering solutions. This, he will never do. 2) After that, he must sincerely look for qualified Nigerians to assist his steering this ship of Nigeria instead of APC members who knew next to nothing about their ministries. 3) He must allow the judiciary and the national assembly stand each separately as independent arm of the government. 4) He must fight corruption not pretending he is not corrupt, but because they have all installed and benefited from corruption and God is not happy with any of them. The implication is there should be no sacred cows being protected directly or indirectly by him. 5) If Nigerians want God to intervene not minding Buhari, they must love and accept themselves as one people above ethnic or religious affiliations. 6) They must agree Buhari is no messiah to save Nigeria from its predicaments. Finally, the choice is either in the hands of Nigerians to do the two things advice or continue to suffer all through Buhari’s regime or for Buhari to comply with the outlined instructions so that God can lead Nigeria out of its sufferings.