House of Representatives Commitee on Science and Technology Monday said that the 2021 budget as presented by President Muhammadu Buhari was incapable of lifting Nigeria from the current economic recession.

It will be recalled that Buhari in early October this year presented 2021 budget estimate of N13.08 trillion to the national assembly for approval.

Last Saturday, the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, announced that Nigeria had slid into recession, the second time in five years.

Sharing his views on the budget at a session, a member of the committee, Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante from Rivers State said the documents had allocation flaws that should be corrected.

His dissatisfaction however followed the absence of the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and the Director-General, DG, Budget Office, Ben Akabueze who ignored the committee’s invitation to explain why capital projects in 2020 budget of many agencies of government in the Ministry of Science and Technology and others were not getting adequate funding.

The Committee had contended that trivial activities got 100% funding while capital projects that were people orientated suffered more.

Expected to make physical appearances to take direct questions, the officials rather sent representatives which the lawmakers considered as an affront.

Speaking at the session, Abiante said: “It won’t be very appropriate for their own views not to be reflected. For having this opportunity, I want it on record that it probably could have been an intended absence to avoid scrutiny of what had been presented. If there had been a written document before us, allowing the DG, probably, would have taken a few questions because to my mind, having looked at the budget of some agencies that we supervise as the Committee on science and technology as well as some other agencies supervised by some other Commitees, I want to honestly say that the budget office is one of the greatest problems we have in this country. 

“What we have before us is no budget. We have looked at it. And if we continue like this, then we know where the problem of this country lies. Somebody may have been misinforming or even ill-advising Mr. President. I give you an instance, the parastatal was before us requesting for about one billion naira to have laboratory established and all they could get in 2020 budget was N20m out of a billion Naira for something that will turn around the economy of the country, something that will help to stop the importation of adhesives that are used in the leather industry. Who is causing us this problem?

”The Budget Office. So, how many years will it take to budget N20m each to arrive at the completion of a project of N1b that will be of a great importance to this country? The list is endless. You find a project that is supposed to cost N100m, the budget office will allocate N100.000? The budget office is the greatest problem. If the DG was here, I would have said more.

”People are looking for SARS. I think they are misdirecting it. You will allocate 100% to training as capital project. Conference 100% but the things that will turn around the economy of the country, you give 1%. 

“To my mind, probably, …and they have avoided this interface. If another opportunity presents itself, well and good. If it doesn’t, let the House know that what is before us is not a budget, not even to talk of a budget that can help this country in this time of recession. It is not a budget. Convey to the leadership of this House that we don’t have a budget. The entire document should be sent back.”

Also speaking, Hon. Stanley Olajide from Oyo State appealed to his colleagues to give the officials a second chance.

“I heard what my colleague said. I am gonna toe a different line because we hold a duty of care and fair hearing. I will tell the representatives of the Ministry and the DG, this is a serious issue to address all the issues of Nigeria. I will not take a hardline because I think we want to hear from the DG and the minister directly. But there are a lot of questions to be answered. Please, I think we should go ahead and write a second letter and then from that point, Madam chair, I think you know, we can start toeing the hardline. But then, the issue of Nigeria rests on the questions that we have.

On his own part, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, another member of the committee said the committee had questions.

“We have questions. We have issues that will benefit this Commitee and other Committees. For instance, how does an agency of government get 9% funding in terms of release for capital and there are others that have received 100% in Nigeria? We believe that there should be ways in allocating responsibilities to leaders of MDAs so that they can respond to burning issues. Some of these issues are time-bound. And we hope when they have an another opportunity, they will handle it better”, he said.

Baring her mind before calling for adjournment, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Beni Lar said existing projects should be finished before embarking on new ones.

“I think the main point here is that we want to complete projects that have been started. Some key projects in the science and technology allocated some ridiculous amount of money. Not even enough to buy papers. We should have a system that will help them to finish the existing projects before starting new ones”, she said.

 


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/11/2021-budget-not-capable-of-addressing-nigerias-recession-reps/amp

Nigeria hits worst recession ever.....
Second time in 5 years.
Effect of having a dullard and visionless being as a leader.

As a useless Minister of Petroleum.He has pent $2.3M on our refineries this year,and yet,no single drop was refine.

Niger has only one refinery they are managing,we will have to start importing oil from there.

If not for funds coming into Nigeria from Nigerians in diaspora,the country would have been more worst than it is.

Budget presentation;
Minister of Finance absent.
DG,Budget office absent.

They dont and will never care about us.
Uselss modafuckers..

Come 2023,you will still see some morons(BMC) campaigning for these same set of people who are hell bent to jeopardize their future.


The Committee had contended that trivial activities got 100% funding while capital projects that were people orientated suffered more.

Idiots they will still sign it na.

God will help those that trust in Him

WE WILL BE IN RECESSION ;

The Committee had contended that trivial activities got 100% funding while capital projects that were people orientated suffered more.

That is true, because the most meaningful aspect of the budget has been shared by 'the power that be.' So, how would the remaining peanuts takes the coy try out of recession and poverty?

Just a bunch of black monkeys who should still be under colonial rule. The niger-man will allocate 90% of his budget to luxury cars, training, foreign trips and building renovations and only 10% to infrastructure. And to make matters worse, he doesn't even finance this nonsense with his own tax revenue -- no, he must borrow from other countries.

If a meteor strikes this earth, may it land on Africa. Earth will surely breathe a sigh of relief when this subhuman worthless race goes extinct.

One chance.....


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

When senator Abaribe said the 2021 budget was unrealistic..... Many people wanted to Stine him to death....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8Olf1amJw0

I bet the reps will approve another loan to HELP NIGERIA GET OUT OF RECESSION .

Interesting

Good one

Thieves dem. When you guys are ready to serve the people, you’ll cut down on you wages and senseless expenditures

signature2012:
Nigeria hits worst recession ever.....
Second time in 5 years.
Effect of having a dullard and visionless being as a leader.

As a useless Minister of Petroleum.He has pent $2.3M on our refineries this year,and yet,no single drop was refine.

Niger has only one refinery they are managing,we will have to start importing oil from there.

If not for funds coming into Nigeria from Nigerians in diaspora,the country would have been more worst than it is.

Budget presentation;
Minister of Finance absent.
DG,Budget office absent.

They dont and will never care about us.
Uselss modafuckers..

Come 2023,you will still see some morons(BMC) campaigning for these same set of people who are hell bent to jeopardize their future.


The Committee had contended that trivial activities got 100% funding while capital projects that were people orientated suffered more.

Just 2 times?

Honestly I thought it was about 4 times.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FEMI GBAJA TAX FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY BY US AUTHORITY AS WE CAN SEE THE BAD ORIENTATION HOLDING NIGERIAN DOWN

But as useless and hopeless as Niggeria is, they will still pass the budget that makes no meaningful impact on their lives and the politicians will still get richer...

A very useless kon3 at that.. A cursed people

Corrupt reps talking about inflation like they care?

Buharinomics

Roadmap to economic stagnation and poverty. Now majority of Nigerians afford only 1 meal a day as they promised

Sai Baba!

Why Abaribe?? Is he the only one in the Senate? Must he be the only one always to fight for the change we all need at the floor of the Senate? We should learn to respect this man because he's always saying the truth.

Nigeriadondie:
Until we have a sensible lawmaker that would call for reduction in their jumbo pay and allowances, stop fraudulent constituency projects and let local or state governments handle such, stop padding our budget which lawmakers are notorious for, reduce the number of states and their various house of assemblies, cut down size and cost of government at all levels, ensure transparency and full implementation of the budget such that 90% is allocated for capital projects, tell me why we would not create jobs and spread wealth. Abaribe can’t advocate for these. Is he not part of ‘this administration’ or is the legislature not an arm of government? With these animals in power, no hope.
Former CBN governor Lamido Sanusi said we spend 25% of our budget on NASS. Is that not too much on a country in this hard times?
If Abaribe can’t advocate tfor huge cuts in governance which he is benefiting from, then he should keep quiet and stop parabulating like a barber’s chair.

Booked

imagine DG of ministries sending representatives so they are now too big to give account to the people

At least it can address your greed and your insensitivity. Let's support restructuring because that's the only way Nigeria can work.

Everybody knows, but they'll rather prefer to spend on frivolities.

The current crop of Nigerian leaders from the local government level to the so-called Presidency (All three arms and the nass) are the problem of Nigeria.

These will end soon.

That's pretty obvious already

BTW,
Anything UK used laptops, we're your sure plug.
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So Nigeria is in recession and I still people construct Estates everyday, everywhere??

We do not know how to prioritize in this country...

Interesting times indeed..

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