https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeYOtFwtYpI


Abuja- Lawmakers were on Tuesday in a war of words over the sustainability of the 2021 budget.

For describing the budget as “too simplistic, insensitive, unrealistic and does not reflect an understanding of national problems,” Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe was criticized by some of his colleagues.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, during debate of the 2021 budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Abaribe representing Abia South Senatorial District, said the budget indicates government disconnect with global realities.

Describing the 2021 fiscal policy as “same old news with nothing new,” Abaribe also queried social interventions programmes initiated by the federal government to enhance job creation.

According to him, “In a country with over 30 million unemployed, employing 1,000 people per local government cannot generate the kind of jobs that the country needs.”

“Definitely, this can’t be the flagship idea of a government that understands the magnitude of the problems.”

Hé explained that “resolving issues such as the border closure, dealing with the continued harassment of young people who are trying to participate in the new global economy, and improving the productivity in agriculture are much more likely to have a sustained impact and create much more jobs than tokenistic projects by a financially distressed government.

The Minority Leader of the Senate underscored government debt profile, emphasizing on finding alternative

He added that the country’s “oil era is fading out, but the government retains an attitude of business-as-usual.

“This is not a time for tokenistic ideas. Nigeria needs big ideas. This 2021 budget proposal failed to deliver on that point.”

“The 2021 budget presents no overreaching economic philosophy.”

“While Nigeria postures as a capitalistic economy, Buhari’s 2021 federal budget deemphasises the role of the markets in addressing the challenges in the economy, and seeks to expand the size of government.”

On taxation, he condemned the recent tax increase from 5% to 7.5%, highlighting that the increase has further added to the suffering of Nigerians.

The 2021 budget proposes the building of new healthcare centres, procurement and equipping of numerous primary healthcare centres, a move that Senator Abaribe argued does not allow for private sector involvement in the health sector.

Abaribe was interrupted by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who criticized his stance, insisting that “this is a budget estimate. If I was you I’ll do the same thing you are doing.”

In his contribution, Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, described Abaribe as “playing politics with the 2021 budget.”

He applauded the spread of capital projects in the 2021 fiscal policy, describing it as the right move to reposition the economy.

Describing the budget as been in line with the challenges of the time, Senator Kalu also praised the creation of special interventions for the 774 local governments across Nigeria.

For Senator Gabriel Suswam, “the items in the 2021 budget are not sustainable over a long period of time.”

Stressing the need to reduce borrowing, he warned that “borrowing may become a vicious circle that may lead into the 2022 budget.”

Senator Oker-Jev Emmanuel, Benue North/West, stressed that there was nothing on ground to show that the country can finance the 2021 budget.

He called the attention of stakeholders to what he described as “Fertilizer priced out of the reach of Farmers.”

Source: https://www.independent.ng/lawan-abaribe-others-in-war-of-words-over-2021-budget/

noted

“resolving issues such as the border closure, dealing with the continued harassment of young people who are trying to participate in the new global economy, and improving the productivity in agriculture are much more likely to have a sustained impact and create much more jobs than tokenistic projects by a financially distressed government.

“While Nigeria postures as a capitalistic economy, Buhari’s 2021 federal budget deemphasises the role of the markets in addressing the challenges in the economy, and seeks to expand the size of government.”

the items in the 2021 budget are not sustainable over a long period of time.”

H

No news here like there was no news on 9JA budget since 1999.

slivertongue:
“While Nigeria postures as a capitalistic economy, Buhari’s 2021 federal budget deemphasises the role of the markets in addressing the challenges in the economy, and seeks to expand the size of government.”

The biggest problem that the government is dealing with today is self inflicted; The rapid expansion of government through the endless duplication of agencies, with the ultimate aim to create more jobs for the boys has now led to a "once in a lifetime" increase in recurrent expenditures that is soooo bad, the government has to borrow to offset overheads.. Yearly, budgets are now almost full of borrowed funds that will go into the payment of the buldgeoning salaries/estacodes/allowances of all sorts of political positions that at this point, it's fair to say that the government has turned the civil service into some sort of "social safety" program.
In some curious cases, agencies are deliberately duplicated, just to create more spaces for nephews and nieces in the civil service. For instance, we have The Police, The EFCC, The ICPC, all doing the same thing, all staffed to the brim, all gulping billions to maintain! Moreover, because of the alarming lack of inventive start ups, most graduates aim mostly to get government salaried jobs, hoping to get their normal promotions while sitting in front of big desks from where they contribute next to nothing in terms of productivity.. Successive governments know this but can't do anything about it because flooding the civil service with all sorts of political hirelings and ethnic henchmen has proven to be the easiest and quickest way to compensate thugs and tribal loyalists who "stood strong" with the president/governor minister/commissioner/LGA chairs..., during the challenging periods of unpredictable campaigns and corrupt elections. It has also proven to be the surest way of sucking Niger Delta oil money for at least 35 years as a "worker" and thereafter as a pensioner..

And no physical fight?