National Assembly, Abuja
A statement jointly signed by the chairmen of the Appropriation
Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, Danjuma Goje and
Abdulmumin Jibrin respectively, reveals that the Appropriation
Committees have submitted the details of the 2016 Appropriation Bill to
the Clerk of the National Assembly for onward transmission to the
Presidency and thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding.
Below is the statement in full;
“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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