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2008 Budget: Another Empty Promises?
By Oludare Fase
Budget speeches in Nigeria have always been master pieces. Even the past military
governments engaged the best speech-writers to write their budget speeches. It is so sad
that in Nigeria many promises outlined in successive budgets have remained unfulfilled.
From Tafawa to Yakubu, Murtala to Segun I, Shehu to Muhamadu, Ibrahim to Ernest,
Sanni to Salami, and recently Segun II to Musa, their budgets had always been christened
on very lousy theme.
If it was not a budget of hope, it would be budget of development. If it was not for
development it would be budget of consolidation. If there was nothing to consolidate then
the budget may be for continuation, and if there was no continuity, then it might be budget
of poverty eradication.
Particularly former President Olusegun Obasanjo overused those adjectives with little or
completely nothing at all to show for it. His eight-year budgets running into several trillions
of Naira were always campaigning, appealing or apologizing for inadequacies of the
previous ones.
For example this is what Obasanjo said while presenting the budget 2006 to the joint session
of the national Assembly ‘…budget 2006 will accelerate the theme of budget 2005 with a
focus on building physical development and human infrastructure for job creation and
poverty eradication…Budget 2006 is the third of our NEEDS budgets and as such continues
the support for the reforms and development of our economy that was started with the 2004
budget. Budget 2006 in addition pays special attention to social safety nets, and to other
important national priorities such as provision for the population….’
Despite the fact that he appropriated several trillions of Naira in all the eight years put
together, many Nigerians can as well look back and safely say that we are not radically
different from where we were in 1999 when he took over.
Oppositions will quickly say that those trillions of naira in budget ended up in private
pockets of politicians and high profile civil servants, while the remaining money were used
to pay salaries of over blotted civil service, as well as funding of programmes of the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Similarly, President Musa Yar’Adua recently presented his first budget and fiscal policy to
the joint session of the national assembly. Part of the budget reads thus:
‘…the 2008 budget builds upon and consolidates past macroeconomic and budgetary
reforms. It gives priority to, and makes ample provision for improving physical
infrastructure, particularly, power and transportation, human capital development, the
Niger Delta, and social safety nets. These are all
encapsulated in the Seven-Point Agenda of this Administration. Broadly, the 2008 budget
provides:
• N444.6 billion for Security and the Niger Delta, which is 20% of the total
Federal Government Budget, up 6.5% from 2007 allocation;
• N210 billion for Education or 13% of the total MDA spending;
• N139.78 billion for the Energy sector, excluding National Integrated Power
Projects which will be implemented through alternative funding; and
• N121.1 billion, that is 7% of total budget, for Agriculture and Water
Resources.
Consistent with our commitments under the Paris Club Debt settlement, and in pursuit of
the attainment of the MDGs, the 2008 budget will devote the entire
debt relief gains, amounting to N110 billion, to carefully selected poverty reduction
initiatives and programmes in Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Power and
Social Safety Nets. The Budget is basically about the ordinary Nigerian. It is about
accelerating the provision of basic infrastructure to improve the quality of life of our
people. It is about creating jobs and the enabling environment for the private sector to
thrive.’
The speech is no doubt a good piece and equally promising like his predecessors, but what
assurances are Nigerians getting that the budget speech would not end up in the trash bin.
How are Nigerians going to be sure that this president would not jettison the promises of the
speech?
How courageous are members of the National Assembly in exercising their oversight
functions on appropriation. How are Nigerians going to be sure that the hawks at Wadata
plaza would not hijack the budget like they have always been doing?
These are some of the things that President Musa Yar’Adua needs to take into consideration
if he wants to proof a point. May be, he will personally supervise the implementation of the
budget, particularly this time around that his government is fighting for legitimacy.
If he monitors the budget closely and put all his men on their toes only then can Nigerians
see a significant impact of his 2008 budget on electricity, water, roads, housing, security,
Niger-Delta, transportation, food as well as foreign relations.
By Oludare Fase
Budget speeches in Nigeria have always been master pieces. Even the past military
governments engaged the best speech-writers to write their budget speeches. It is so sad
that in Nigeria many promises outlined in successive budgets have remained unfulfilled.
From Tafawa to Yakubu, Murtala to Segun I, Shehu to Muhamadu, Ibrahim to Ernest,
Sanni to Salami, and recently Segun II to Musa, their budgets had always been christened
on very lousy theme.
If it was not a budget of hope, it would be budget of development. If it was not for
development it would be budget of consolidation. If there was nothing to consolidate then
the budget may be for continuation, and if there was no continuity, then it might be budget
of poverty eradication.
Particularly former President Olusegun Obasanjo overused those adjectives with little or
completely nothing at all to show for it. His eight-year budgets running into several trillions
of Naira were always campaigning, appealing or apologizing for inadequacies of the
previous ones.
For example this is what Obasanjo said while presenting the budget 2006 to the joint session
of the national Assembly ‘…budget 2006 will accelerate the theme of budget 2005 with a
focus on building physical development and human infrastructure for job creation and
poverty eradication…Budget 2006 is the third of our NEEDS budgets and as such continues
the support for the reforms and development of our economy that was started with the 2004
budget. Budget 2006 in addition pays special attention to social safety nets, and to other
important national priorities such as provision for the population….’
Despite the fact that he appropriated several trillions of Naira in all the eight years put
together, many Nigerians can as well look back and safely say that we are not radically
different from where we were in 1999 when he took over.
Oppositions will quickly say that those trillions of naira in budget ended up in private
pockets of politicians and high profile civil servants, while the remaining money were used
to pay salaries of over blotted civil service, as well as funding of programmes of the ruling
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Similarly, President Musa Yar’Adua recently presented his first budget and fiscal policy to
the joint session of the national assembly. Part of the budget reads thus:
‘…the 2008 budget builds upon and consolidates past macroeconomic and budgetary
reforms. It gives priority to, and makes ample provision for improving physical
infrastructure, particularly, power and transportation, human capital development, the
Niger Delta, and social safety nets. These are all
encapsulated in the Seven-Point Agenda of this Administration. Broadly, the 2008 budget
provides:
• N444.6 billion for Security and the Niger Delta, which is 20% of the total
Federal Government Budget, up 6.5% from 2007 allocation;
• N210 billion for Education or 13% of the total MDA spending;
• N139.78 billion for the Energy sector, excluding National Integrated Power
Projects which will be implemented through alternative funding; and
• N121.1 billion, that is 7% of total budget, for Agriculture and Water
Resources.
Consistent with our commitments under the Paris Club Debt settlement, and in pursuit of
the attainment of the MDGs, the 2008 budget will devote the entire
debt relief gains, amounting to N110 billion, to carefully selected poverty reduction
initiatives and programmes in Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Power and
Social Safety Nets. The Budget is basically about the ordinary Nigerian. It is about
accelerating the provision of basic infrastructure to improve the quality of life of our
people. It is about creating jobs and the enabling environment for the private sector to
thrive.’
The speech is no doubt a good piece and equally promising like his predecessors, but what
assurances are Nigerians getting that the budget speech would not end up in the trash bin.
How are Nigerians going to be sure that this president would not jettison the promises of the
speech?
How courageous are members of the National Assembly in exercising their oversight
functions on appropriation. How are Nigerians going to be sure that the hawks at Wadata
plaza would not hijack the budget like they have always been doing?
These are some of the things that President Musa Yar’Adua needs to take into consideration
if he wants to proof a point. May be, he will personally supervise the implementation of the
budget, particularly this time around that his government is fighting for legitimacy.
If he monitors the budget closely and put all his men on their toes only then can Nigerians
see a significant impact of his 2008 budget on electricity, water, roads, housing, security,
Niger-Delta, transportation, food as well as foreign relations.