Don’t Dump 2017 Budget, Dogara Tells FG

Dogara also expressed hope that the passage of the 2018 budget does not suffer delays that may be occasioned by inadequate consultations between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and over-sighting committees of the National Assembly. In his remarks during the presentation of the 2018 budget estimates by President Buhari at the National Assembly, the Speaker also called for policy consistency for a more sustainable economic growth. He said, “Mr. President, as legislators, what agitates us is the prospects of totally abandoning the 2017 Budget and the dire consequences of doing so. The questions that must be answered include whether we have effectively enforced 2017 fiscal targets and whether managers have complied with the budget as authorized by the legislature. “Our experience with the implementation of the 2016 Budget amply demonstrates that obeying our Appropriation Laws maximizes the release of our potentials while violating the Appropriation Laws caps the release of our national potentials. “This means that we have to redouble our efforts in implementing the 2017 Budget, if we must retire it in January or at the very least rollover most of the projects in 2017 budget to 2018. No need to remind us that fiscal indiscipline is as grievous as corruption which this government is busy eliminating”. On the preparation of the budget, Dogara said, “Once again, let me place it on record that the 2018 Budget preparations suffer from inadequate consultations between the MDAS and various over- sighting Committees of the National Assembly. “Consequently, one can only hope and pray that it does not lead to delay in consideration and passage of the Budget”. He also lauded President Buhari for executing the 2016 budget in line with the provisions of section 318 of the constitution, which requires the budget to last for 12 months. According to him, this helped the executive to report an accomplishment of over N5 trillion expenditure out of the N7.4 trillion budgeted for 2016, an unprecedented record by all standards, made possible only because the execution of the budget was allowed to last for 12 months. “That is what the National Assembly has always called for in line with the original intent of the framers of our constitution”, he added. Speaking further, Dogara asserted that there is no national challenge that Nigeria cannot overcome if the executive and legislature work together, noting that failure to do so only hinders progress. While commending lawmakers for displaying true leadership qualities, patriotism and a sense of national purpose by providing a peaceful environment for President Buhari to deliver his budget address, amidst a hazy relationship between the two arms, Dogara also acknowledged the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, for visiting the leadership of both Houses of the National Assembly to canvass support for government policies and to strengthen the often “strained Executive-Legislative relations”. He continued: “This is the way we must go as our constitutional order is organed in a way that deliberately denies any of the three arms the strength to go at it alone on any major national issue. Where that has happened, it’s progress that suffers. That reminds us of the adage that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together. “Examples abound on how fast but not far, the Executive have gone on some national issues where they have decided to go alone. There is no national challenge we cannot overcome if we work together”.]]>