The Appropriation Committees of the Senate and
House of Representatives have submitted the details
of the 2016 Appropriation Bill to the Clerk of the
National Assembly for onward transmission to the
Presidency.
In a statement jointly signed by the chairmen of the
Appropriation Committees of the Senate and House
of Representatives, Danjuma Goje and Abdulmumin
Jibrin respectively, the committees thanked
Nigerians for their patience and understanding.
The chairmen said it took their committees extra
weeks to get the details ready so we could correct all
the inconsistencies, errors, omissions and padding
in the document submitted to them in December
last year.
“Being the most important economic policy tool of
government, the budget provides a comprehensive
statement of our priorities as a nation.
“And as representatives of the people, the National
Assembly remains the appropriate place to ensure
that the details of such a document best match our
national goals and aspirations.
“Therefore, what we have been doing in these past
few weeks is to balance the projections for revenue
against the estimates for expenditure based on the
reality of our situation today.
“Unfortunately, that task has been made very
difficult by the sloppy manner in which the 2016
Appropriation Bill was prepared by the executive
such that many of the officials who came before our
various committees practically disowned the inputs
from their own departments and ministries.
“In most instances, and across several agencies, the
bill that was initially presented to us failed in many
respects to connect with the policy thrust of the
government and the needs of our people.
“That is aside the fact that most of the figures
simply did not just add up. It was one of the most
controversial budgets that ever came to the National
Assembly from the Executive.
“Fortunately, President Muhammadu Buhari, who
we must commend for showing leadership,
intervened and that helped in resolving what had
become a serious logjam.
“Some officials in the executive branch have also
been removed from their duty posts because of
these glaring lapses. That happened because the
president took direct responsibility and got involved
in the process, not only to ensure synergy between
the executive and the legislature but also so that we
could both arrive at a budget that is implementable
for the good of all Nigerians.
“However, it is important to stress that this is the
first time we would have a transition from the
ruling political party to the opposition, so some of
these problems are understandable.
“We therefore believe that the executive will learn
from the mistakes of this year, going forward. But
we must also commend the leadership of the
National Assembly as well as members of our own
committees who have had to endure sleepless
nights, especially in recent weeks.
“To the extent that the budget drafting phase is a
long process, the committee stage provides the most
significant opportunity for members of the public,
including the media and civil society organizations
to make their own contributions and we have taken
into account all shades of opinions in arriving at
the breakdown, which is now with the executive.
“Now that the 2016 budget has been passed, our
next role is to add value to the process through
legislative oversight functions that enable us to
ensure adherence to priorities while monitoring
effective allocation of resources. But there is a
lesson that should not be lost on the executive given
the current experience.
“We specifically urge the president to abide strictly
with provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act
which stipulates that the appropriation bill be
presented early so that there could be sufficient
time for interactive sessions between the executive
and the legislature before the commencement of
committee hearings.
“That way, we can avoid some of the controversies
that dogged this year’s budget and add value to the
entire process,” the statement added.
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