A TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN STUDENTS' (NANS) ZONE B ON THE 2016 BUDGET PROPOSAL PRESENTED TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BY PRESIDENT BUHARI.

----‘Budget of Hypocrisy on Educational Sector’
--- "NANS Rejects borrowing to fund our National Budget"

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) wish to express its displeasure and fears over the 2016 National Budget as was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.

While appreciating the timely presentation, thereby giving room for public scrutiny and review, NANS wish to seek clarification as to issues that concerns the Nigerian students and the education sector in general.

After a critical study of the ‘Budget of Change’ By President Muhammadu Buhari, we hereby express our fears and worries over the budget as it affects us.

First, it is alarming to note that the budget provides N369.6 billion in total to the education sector! This proposal not only falls below the required target set by the previous administration for education in the year 2015 but also goes a record low below the 26% as recommended by the UNESCO. In 2015, despite the entire budget of 4.4trillion Naira, Education received 392 billion, that is 8.7% of the annual budget. Today, we have a total budget of 6.08trillion Naira yet Education is likely going to get only 369.6 billion, that is 5.5%! We are sure this amount will go down further after joint reviews have been made by the National Assembly. The 5.5% proposed by the Presidency falls below the 15% proposed by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in its party Manifesto and upon which the Nigerian students massively voted for it. This is the height of national hypocrisy.

We do not pretend not to be aware of the economic irregularity that has affected the nation’s economy in recent time. However, we believe that Nigeria is what it is today because successive governments have refused topay serious attention to the education sector. No nation attains economic sustainability without proper education, starting from the basic level. Education is the bedrock of every successful state, therefore we believe that if Nigeria must evolve out of this feeding bottle economy, it must invest heavily on the education sector by not only providing quality education but ensuring the policies designed for education are self-sustaining and devoid of political interferences. We therefore totally reject a 5.5% budget for education in a budget of 6.08trillion Naira. Let us not forget that the Federal Government has an existing legal obligation to release an annual 200billion Naira intervention fund to the Nigerian Universities in line with the 2009 ASUU agreement. We cannot afford to embark on any union strike in the year 2016 as a result of inadequate financial planning by the federal government.

Second, we have studied the President’s proposal for recruiting 500,000 teachers for primary schools in conjunction with the states and local governments and we have come to the firm conclusion that this is another unsustainable miscalculation towards increasing recurrent expenditure at the expense of already bankrupt states and local governments. First, it is not the fiscal responsibility of the FG to recruit teachers for basic schools. So we find it confusing and even contradictory on how the FG intends to carry out this recruitment. Will the teachers be paid by the states, local government or FG, and for how long? Are the states and LGAs financially ready for such recruitment at this point?

Third, the Presidency also proposes a primary school feeding programme, if we may ask, since primary school affairs falls within the fiscal responsibility of state and local governments, why has no APC controlled state started this programme, and how does the FG intend to carry out this programme when the states are not ready for integration? We know of how Osun State once started such experiment without proper planning, today, Osun State is few inches away from being declared bankrupt. We must learn not to get involved in welfare programmes that are unrealistic and unsustainable.

Finally, we are shocked that a Federal Government led by the APC will propose a budget of 6.08trillion to be funded obviously by loan. NANS Zone B as the apex student body in South South and South East region not only see this move as fiscally dangerous but as equally awkwardly irresponsible. How can a country with so much economic uncertainty be so relaxed about borrowing such am amount to fund its national budget? The very fact that we do not have funds to fund our national budget is an attestation that we are already a failing state and a failing state does not borrow to fund recurrent expenditure, it borrows to diversify. We will not allow the APC led FG mortgage the future of the Nigerian youths in the name of frivolous loans. We therefore rejects the borrowing to finance budget as Nigeria must learn to sow her coat according to the available material.

Having highlighted the above four issues, we hereby resolve to demand that the provision for education be increased from the present 5.5% to at least the 15% as proposed by the APC in its party manifesto. We also demand that before the Presidency continues with the media propaganda of creating 500,000 teaching jobs in 2016, it must first confirm that such a move is supported by the states and is economically viable and sustainable by the participating states. Third, the school feeding programme must be allowed to be run by the states at their economic capability so as to allow for sustainability and grassroot effectiveness. Fourth, the proposed loan-for-budget-finance should be reduced. And finally, we are hoping that the APC led FG will learn to propose policies based on realistic estimations rather than for the purpose of media satisfaction and unnecessary propaganda.

While we hope that the Government will look into our demands and do the needful we will, like every other Nigerian, continue to hope and pray for a better Nigeria, we wish to inform the Presidency that we have set up a team of critical researchers to look into the foundational cause of the unlimited challenges facing Nigeria with a hope of proffering solutions once and for all. We shall communicate our findings to the Nigerian people and begin a nationwide campaign to implement our findings once we are convinced of our findings as a panacea to our national challenges. The need for Nigeria’s progress is collective and we can no longer continue to risk it being managed by the politicians only. The Nigerian students and the rest of the Nigerian youths are ready to work with the central government.

Viva!!!

Long live NANS Zone B !
Long live Nigerian Students !!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria !!!

OBI, PEDRO CHIBUZO
COORDINATOR,
NANS ZONE B.
24TH DECEMBER, 2015.
+2348062467312

Nigeria is heading to total destruction in the hand of an Almajiri President

Welcome to the reality


Isnt it better if we prophesize good things to Nigeria than negative.? Should Nigeria fail today, it will affect us all, it's succeed we will all reap it.

Things might be rough, but our collective efforts can go a long way in preventing Nigeria from derailing

Is this the PDP NANS or a new one? You've suddenly found your voice because Buhari is not giving you money.

As much as i know, NANS has been useless since 1960.

zulu14:
Nice one, pls what abt. His doctorate degree?

They have asked him to return it long ago


So he still remain Pa Buhari and not Dr. Buhari ..... convet empto!

MalcoImX:
Is this the PDP NANS or a new one? You've suddenly found your voice because Buhari is not giving you money.

E de pain u??

There must be a transformer nearby

The stars are aligning perfectly for 2016.

fromnigeria:
As much as i know, NANS has been useless since 1960.

APC social media change agent sighted!

I hope u were invited by Aisha or your own end in Nairaland

On a hot seat with Frank for N1m and I chose to ask the audience as the last option ..


..Click *Like* if you feel FG's budget is fair on the Education sector ..


..*Share* in aluta and agreement with NANS ..

Jombojombo:

E de pain u??

There must be a transformer nearby

Nobody plays with transformers anymore. It is Buhari's era.

Jombojombo:

OBI, PEDRO CHIBUZO
COORDINATOR,
NANS ZONE B.
24TH DECEMBER, 2015.
+2348062467312

The usual suspect never fails to disappoint. Too bad you guys will wail till 2019 at the minimum.

Lalasticlala, pls let NASS hear NANS out on this sensitive issue ..

PDP education wing.Very useless set of people

seunmsg:



The usual suspect never fails to disappoint. Too bad you guys will wail till 2019 at the minimum.

While u will roam the streets till 2019 because even the 5k u are waiting for won't come

How has the last education budget improve us.If they can implement this budget it will go a long way in improving the education sector.

Jombojombo:

While u will roam the streets till 2019 because even the 5k u are waiting for won't come

guy read ur post again..

smemud:
PDP education wing.Very useless set of people

I hope u were at the villa two days ago??

Hypocrite ..

..Tribalist ..

seunmsg:



The usual suspect never fails to disappoint. Too bad you guys will wail till 2019 at the minimum.

Copy, paste, memorize and read the last paragraph of that masterpiece ..

smemud:
guy read ur post again..

I mean u are jobless and waiting for 5k from Bubu ..... worst still, Aisha doesn't know u exist

No wonder our system has been churning out unemployable youths.
NANs raised the issue of decrease in allocation for the education sector by comparing it with previous administration but it never occur those bunch of dullards in NANs that the projected revenue generation in for last budget was bouyant and the economy was stable than 2016 where by the projected revenue has decreased to the extent that we have to increase our taxation and source loan from international market.
- it never occur to them that the price of crude oil is declining drastically which of course is our major revenue back bone.

it never occur to them that this year budget is a zero based budget where by every ministry's allocation will be calculated based on their real need - and not a situation where by ministries be the ones to present increamental allocation
How can you compose this kind of crap and expect the federal government to be motivated to increase educational allocation?
If I was Buhari, I will order for reduction in their allocation after reading this junk.

Jokay07:
No wonder our system has been churning out unemployable youths.
NANs raised the issue of decrease in allocation for the education sector by comparing it with previous administration but it never occur those bunch of dullards in NANs that the projected revenue generation in for last budget was bouyant and the economy was stable than 2016 where by the projected revenue has decreased to the extent that we have to increase our taxation and source loan from international market.
- it never occur to them that the price of crude oil is declining drastically which of course is our major revenue back bone.

it never occur to them that this year budget is a zero based budget where by every ministry's allocation will be calculated based on their real need - and not a situation where by ministries be the ones to present increamental allocation
How can you compose this kind of crap and expect the federal government to be motivated to increase educational allocation?
If I was Buhari, I will order for reduction in their allocation after reading this junk.

Another dullard social change agent has spoken!

What is the total amount of 2015 budget and what is that of 2016 budget

We never had a balanced budget in Nigeria and hardly can u have it anywhere in the world.... every government borrow to finance their budget.

What NANS is saying is that the amount APC wants to borrow next year is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

More so, u told us during ur campaign that u will give Education sector a minimum of 15% allocation and end up giving us 5.5%. So u think everybody will be a gullible dullard like your generation to keep quite to such a broad day rubbery ??

Wake up man!

Jombojombo:

What is the total amount of 2015 budget and what is that of 2016 budget

I don't need a prophet to tell me before I know how the baton of ignorance and foolhardiness has been passed down from one generation to another in your poverty striken family because your moniker alone goes a long way in defining ignorance and stupidity!! You want to justify you ill-thought opinion by comparing 2015 budget with 2016 budget but your brain never directed you to the availaiblity source of revenue. How much was borrowed to finance 2015 budget and how much would be borrowed to finance 2016 budget an how much was the govt able generate from the sales of crude oil last year.

Jombojombo:

We never had a balanced budget in Nigeria.
What NANS is saying is that the amount APC wants to borrow next year is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

indeed!! It's quite unfortunate that NANs has become a political puppet in the hands of the political parties. N3.3 trillion naira was stolen under the watch of Jonathan and so many others but to mention. That money is almost half of the proposed budget of Nigeria, had this money been saved or injected into the system, there won't be need to go for galloping budget deficit by the Apc. NANs are yet to understand the extent of damage Pdp has done to the future of the youths in this country. Stay blessed sir !!

Jokay07:
[/b] I don't need a prophet to tell me before I know how the baton of ignorance and foolhardiness has been passed down from one generation to another in your poverty striken family because your moniker alone goes a long way in defining ignorance and stupidity!! You want to justify you ill-thought opinion by comparing 2015 budget with 2016 budget but your brain never directed you to the availaiblity source of revenue. How much was borrowed to finance 2015 budget and how much would be borrowed to finance 2016 budget an how much was the govt able generate from the sales of crude oil last year.

indeed!! It's quite unfortunate that NANs has become a political puppet in the hands of the political parties. N3.3 trillion naira was stolen under the watch of Jonathan and so many others but to mention. That money is almost half of the proposed budget of Nigeria, had this money been saved or injected into the system, there won't be need to go for galloping budget deficit by the Apc. NANs are yet to understand the extent of damage Pdp has done to the future of the youths in this country. Stay blessed sir !!

Beware of high BP

The most annoying part is when you see educated illiterates defend this budget based on massive borrowing

NANS Zone B (SS/SE Region) - the beef is understandable. But let's forget about that and deal with the facts.
---
They claim that UNESCO demands a budget minimum of 15%. But do they know what percentage FAO demands for Agriculture, WHO demands for Health, UNEP demands for Environment, ILO demands for Employment, etc. My point is that it is practically impossible to satisfy the standards set by all these United Nations organizations. Every nation has its own unique challenges and priorities, and so will tailor their budget to reflect that. Can you imagine the chaos if every sector came out to demand that government meet the UN requirements?

CAPEX in the 2015 budget was around N500bn, while CAPEX proposed in the 2016 budget is around N1.8tn. So, you see, a good chunk of the N6.08tn is going to be spent on infrastructure. The government will not take up that huge deficit to invest in non-revenue generating ministries. In any case, Education has the highest recurrent expenditure @ N369.5bn. There is also another N37bn budgeted for CAPEX. Add another N77bn budgeted for UBE.
---
With the current reality of low oil prices, those ignorant students need to realize that the priority of government right now is massive infrastructure investment to help diversify the economy. If so much is spent on education, which jobs will the graduates do when they finish?

OBI PEDRO CHIBUZO, COORDINATOR, NANS ZONE B.

24TH DECEMBER, 2015.

As usual- a Wailing Ekpa.

Next Ekpa please.

seunmsg:



The usual suspect never fails to disappoint. Too bad you guys will wail till 2019 at the minimum.

Lol


Dt was funny

Dnt mind the clowns.

There was no budget to give them cash