Frankly Speaking With Jola Sotubo2016 budget; budget of corruption or budget of change?

President Muhammadu Buhari had presented the proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 22, 2015, terming it the “Budget of Change.”

President Muhammadu Buhari delivering the 2016 budget at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria December 22, 2015.

President Muhammadu Buhari delivering the 2016 budget at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria December 22, 2015. Reuters
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The National Assembly, on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, finally passed the 2016 budget.

President Muhammadu Buhari had presented the proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on December 22, 2015, terming it the “Budget of Change.”

However, the budget has been the centre of controversy since it was reported missing from the Assembly premises in January 2016.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki later said that two different versions of the document had been submitted to the legislative house.

The controversy was further deepened when details of large sums attached to ridiculous items were released to the media leading some Nigerians to call the 2016 budget the “Budget of Corruption.”

The budget provided the sum of N795 million to update the website of the Federal Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, N30.8 million to rent the State House in the Presidential Villa and N46.5 billion for the purchase of vehicles, computers and furniture, an item which was replicated 24 times in the document.

Infographic of item on 2016 budget
(BudgIT)

The situation led Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose to urge Buhari to withdraw the budget.

“The President should admit that there were avoidable errors in the budget and since he is human and not immune to errors, he should simply do the needful by presenting a new and credible budget to the National Assembly,” Fayose said on February 9 via a statement.

Buhari eventually wrote a letter to the National Assembly officially requesting the withdrawal of the budget in order to make changes.

He also admitted that the proposal which was, at the time, being debated by the Assembly was different from the one he had submitted.

Buhari however blamed the scandal on a “budget mafia” and said it was the work of saboteurs within his government.

The controversy led to the sacking of the Director General of the budget office, Yahaya Gusau and the redeployment of 22 officials from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

The errors found in the budget also led to a delay in its passage. The Senate had promised, in January, that the budget would be passed before the end of February, but this didn’t happen.

In explaining the delay, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Danjuma Goje said, on February 9, that the budget couldn’t be passed yet because it contained too many errors.

“We want to remove all ambiguities, we want to remove all paddings. We want to produce a budget that is in line with the constitutional provision. During the budget defence, a lot of issues based on the padding of the budget, arising from over-bloated overheads and in some instances cases of over-bloated personnel cost,” he said.

“So in summary, the time-table for passage of the budget is no longer realistic because as appropriation committees of both chambers of the National Assembly, we need additional time to do a thorough job for the 2016 budget,” he added.

The Senate then promised to pass the budget on March 17 but again could not fulfill this pledge due to a delay in the presentation of the budget report by the Joint Committee on Appropriation

The report was eventually presented on March 22 leading to the passage of the budget on March 23.

The passing of the budget, while important, is however a minor issue when compared to the implementation of same.

The Buhari administration has hinged many of its promises on the budget and its implementation is expected to bring Nigerians the change they’ve been screaming for.

“I want to assure the people that immediately the budget is passed into law, we will zoom into action and all our promises will be fulfilled,” Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo said in February.

“…We are waiting for the budget. Don’t forget that we are not the ones that appropriate funds but the National Assembly. We have given them budget, done some alterations and amendments as needs be in areas where some people try to mutilate and we are waiting for now. Once they approve the budget as proposed, we roll out our programmes,” Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige also said during an interview with the Daily Sun.

The 2016 budget has been described as both the “Budget of Change” and the “Budget of Corruption”, hence, it is now up to President Buhari and his cabinet to prove which cap really fits.