It’s been five months since the N8.612trillion 2018 budget estimates were presented to the National Assembly for approval by President Muhammadu Buhari, yet there is no concrete sign to that effect from the lawmakers.
TAIYE ODEWALE examines the issues surrounding this.
New fiscal calendar in the breach Part of the requests made by President Muhammadu Buhari to the members of the National Assembly on the 7th of November last year when he presented the N8.
612trillion 2018 budget estimates to them was the need for the yearly fiscal calendar of the country to be returned back to January -December as against May –May fiscal calendar adopted for the implementation of the many N7.444trillion 2017 budget and March -March that had been in practice, for many years since year 2000 , the first full fiscal year under the current democratic dispensation.
The January- December fiscal calendar year according to the President, will make the quarterly releases for the implementation of the budget by various Ministries , Department and Agencies (MDAs) , clearer to both government and the governed and also make the entire budgetary processes tidier, devoid of overlapping of one fiscal year to another.
Though both chambers of the National Assembly attempted to give the budget estimates as presented, expeditious consideration and passage by passing it for second reading within two weeks of its presentation but problem arose when the budget consideration got to committee levels.
MDAs abnormalities a hindrance In the Senate for example, after about two weeks of its committees’ interactive sessions with heads of various government agencies from December 5 to December 19, 2017, on their 2018 budget estimates, resolution was adopted that consideration of the budget at that level should be extended to 2018 based on alleged abnormalities observed in the records of the various MDAs.
The abnormalities according to submissions made by chairmen of the various standing committees of the senate , range from lack of details of performance of the 2017 budget to estimates of the 2018 budget proposals .
Setting the ball rolling for such submissions was the Deputy Senate leader, Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah, APC, Kebbi South who queried the actions of MDAs in the implementation of budgets and defence of budget proposals.
According to Na’Allah, reports from the various committees indicated that budgetary pronouncements made by the President were not in any way reflective in the submissions being made by heads of the MDAs.
Na’Allah said: “I feel that there are certain aspects that the Senate has so many things to discuss.
When we suspended the plenary for two weeks, the intention was to enable committees work.
They are supposed to report progress in order to enable the Senate pass the budget before the end of the year or early next year (2018).
“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 Adeosun Udoma Saraki we have not appreciated what the problems are, it is important for Nigerians to come here and understand what the problem is.
Wrong template “The template we are using will continue to create problems for us.
It was created during the Military era. The template cannot work in our country today.
From reports we have had, it is obvious that we have problems. We need to know what the problems are.
If we have a 2017 budget that has not been executed today and we are considering the 2018 budget, it means there is a problem.
“How can we approve the 2018 budget without knowing the performance of 2017 budget? This is abnormal.
From the recent budget defences, it is obvious that MDAs are not ready. Year in, year out, the budget performance is low.
Last week, a minister was asked to excuse lawmakers because he did come unprepared.
He did not come with the necessary documents to defend the budget of his Ministry”.
Unprepared ministers It would be recalled that many other senators across party lines like Barnabas Gemade, Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, Sam Anyanwu, Dino Melaye , Olusola Adeyeye etc, spoke in like manner on the need to scrutinise the budget properly for whatever time it would take before passing it.
Summing up the submissions then, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said, “Truly, it is very disheartening and disappointing because we know how much we have put into the budget process.
“By now, 2017 budget should have been implemented by up to between 40 and 60 per cent, but this has not been the case.
This makes it very difficult for us, we cannot turn into magicians.
I continue to appeal that you work within what you have and let us do our best to ensure that we have a budget that is in the interest of Nigerians.
“The executive on their part should sit up and not just make rhetoric, but get down to work.
If 2017 budget items are not rolled over to 2018 that is a disaster.
Let the executive show some seriousness towards the budget exercise.
” Though the executive through appearances of heads of the various MDAs before the senate committees for budget defence since January this year, it seemed to have redoubled its efforts in getting the budget fully considered and passed but the lawmakers seemed to have settled for another May to May fiscal year.
Little wonder that when the opportunity came last to make such pronouncement, the Senate President made it loud and clear.
Saraki raises alarm Saraki’s pronouncement to this eff ect was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Attai Aidoko (PDP, Kogi), in which he drew the attention of the senate on the plans by the federal government to close the account of the 2017 budget implementation on March 31st. Rising on Order 11 of the Senate Rule, he said the appropriation Act 2017, shows that the budget should run from May 2017 to end of May 2018.
According to him, “The circular that money for the last budget should be mopped up by March ending is causing panic among the MDAs.
I want the senate to direct that whatever circular issued by the Ministry of Finance must be rescinded.
“The budget must be allowed to run its full course.
The Act must be abided by assigned by Mr President”, Saraki in his remarks thereafter said: “ though there is no need to debate the information brought by the motion, it is worthy of note that the Minister of Finance does not have the powers to terminate the life of a budget before it is due.
“Since the issue is about personal explanation raised by the senator, there will be no need for debate on the motion but it must be noted that the ministry does not have the right to bring a life of a budget to an end before its due time.
“The ministry must withdraw such circular and abide by the Act as signed by Mr President”.
Obviously going by realities on ground, the 2018 budget estimates would be passed by the National Assembly either this month or next, in meeting up with the May 31st expiry date for the 2017 Appropriation Act.
