₦airaland Forum

I posted a damning story yesterday about Buhari from "thenation newspaper" this is even more damaging.

[size=13pt]Curious figures[/size]

Some of the extravagances in the presidency’s budget are stunningly indefensible

Curiously enough, President Muhammadu Buhari’s first budget estimates after rising to power on a promise of change have familiar ingredients associated with the old discredited order. Details of the 2016 budget proposal reflect astonishing similarities with the immediate past, prompting questions about the meaning of change.

To start with, the interest in acquiring a fleet of new high-end luxury cars for the Presidency bespeaks flawed prioritisation. A vote of N3.6b for BMW saloon cars for principal officers is certainly on the high side, considering that the cars are not essential for good governance. Furthermore, the number of the cars is unspecified, leaving room for possible corruption-related manipulation.

Also, the mention of BMW saloon vehicles and their cost brings to mind the matter of a former Aviation Minister in the Goodluck Jonathan administration, Stella Oduah, who was involved in a questionable procurement of two bullet-proof BMW cars at $800,000 each during her tenure. The Buhari government cannot afford such a stain at this time when it is trying to get the public to appreciate its claim that it met a vastly depleted treasury.

The point is that it is a contradiction to say the country is in a mess economically, and yet go on to purchase expensive vehicles whose purpose could as well be served by less costly ones. While we appreciate the need for befitting vehicles for the Presidency, the reality is that BMW cars are not exactly realistic, given an economy struggling with the basics.
Still on cars and associated items. The cost of tyres is put at N189.1m to cover the bulletproof and regular Mercedes Benz cars. In addition, the expenditure on tyres is to cover other brands of vehicles, including Toyota cars, trucks, Land Cruiser and Prado SUVs, Hilux pick-up vans, Peugeot 607 and 406 cars, ambulances and others broadly described as “utility and operational vehicles”.

Other expenditures on the Presidency’s vehicles include N39.8m for the purchase of an unspecified number of 200 amps, 100 amps and 60 amps Mercedes Benz batteries for bulletproof vehicles. Also, N30m is to be expended on the purchase of tool boxes, car jacks, and diagnostic machines for the Presidency’s bulletproof cars. The purchase of C-Caution triangles, fire-extinguishers and cables is to cost N27m.

It is unclear how the Presidency arrived at these figures, but they are unsettling reminders of the Jonathan presidential era when public expenditures seemed to be padded, and were actually inflated to enrich private pockets. We hope that is not the case in this new political dispensation.

It would appear that public criticism of the high frequency of President Buhari’s international travels since he took office has not been effective enough to cause a review. As against the 2015 N24.4b allocation, which was used by Buhari and his predecessor, the Presidency voted N39b for local and international travels and transportation in the 2016 budget. This suggests more foreign travels by Buhari when he is expected to fly less and stay on the ground to address the country’s failure to realise its potential.

Equally odd is the N362m allocation for Wildlife Conservation in 2016, in place of the N24. 6m voted for the same category last year, including the purchase of exotic animals. Ironically, the difference in the figures makes Jonathan’s government look saintly, quite apart from the dubious category which this particular allocation is meant to serve.

What is more, the allocation for acquisition of presidential canteen materials and kitchen equipment increased from N83.1m in 2015 to N89m in 2016. There is also a marginal increase in the N11m voted for supply of foodstuff and catering services in the Vice President’s office in 2015 to N16.6m.

Other puzzling figures include: general renovation of the Guest House (N387m); complete furnishing of the Guest House (N45m); purchase of computers (N27.5m) and construction and provision of recreational facilities (N764m). It may be asked: What are the recreational facilities missing at the Presidency?

Here and there in the budget are suspect figures that signal not only the possibility of inflation, but also the possibility of wastefulness. While there is no indication of the number or condition of items procured by the Presidency in 2015, N114.4m is to be expended on the upgrade of internet infrastructure in the State House and N22.5m is to be spent on purchasing internet servers. What is described as “Active Devices for State House Network” is to cost N100m, and N35m is to be expended on the purchase of security appliances and licences, including computer anti-virus software.

The Buhari administration must not give the false impression that another government did not exist before it. Does it mean that the Jonathan administration, with all its warts, left nothing useful, and everything has to be renewed to make the new government work as expected?

vedaxcool:
The hall mark of intelligence is the ability to know what is important at any point of time. That is the ability for the brain to put it crudely sieve the wheat from chaff. Is it eloquence we want to chop or concrete solutions spoken?

But to trust him with their lives, Nigerians will have to school him on the constitution afresh and extract promises of his fidelity to the laws of the land. For now, he sees both the constitution and the law as hindrances and handles them with the expedience of his military antecedents. Former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan spoke clearer and more fluently, and had better, wider and more complex grasp of issues

If eloquence or elocution was all that is needed to prove one’s bona fides or demonstrate competence, President Muhammadu Buhari would prove a woeful failure. In his maiden media chat last week, he struggled to communicate, and worse, even struggled to form his thoughts. He did not have problem with his tenses, nor if he did should that worry us. At least the country understood their president, and from his responses, the president in turn claimed and indeed appeared to understand his countrymen, especially how sometimes difficult they can be It was his first media chat, and doubtless his coaches must have worked on him, schooling him on difficult and anticipated questions, and gently admonishing the ramrod straight retired army general to rein in his emotions, soften his taciturnity, and crack some jokes. His coaches will now need to do more, and if need be, ensure he can tell the difference between excise and exercise, for one has to do with customs and the other military drill.

Overall, notwithstanding his problematic elocution, President Buhari came across as honest, down to earth, dependable, and someone Nigerians can trust with their money — absolutely. But to trust him with their lives, Nigerians will have to school him on the constitution afresh and extract promises of his fidelity to the laws of the land. For now, he sees both the constitution and the law as hindrances and handles them with the expedience of his military antecedents. Former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan spoke clearer and more fluently, and had better, wider and more complex grasp of issues howbeit the former was imperious with his guttural voice and elocution, and the latter, with his clipped speech and tremulous voice, suffered from persecution complex.

A situation where the President openly pronounced persons facing trial guilty and sanctioned their continued incarceration despite being granted bail by the courts, presents a dangerous fascist practice obtainable only in totalitarian societies like Mussolini’s Italy, Hitler’s Germany, Idi Amin’s Uganda and General Than Shwe’s Burma.

Mbamally:
1. I've Pray for Obasanjo
2. Yar'adua
3. Jonathan

These 3 people that i've mentioned above where all in PDP when they were President

So is it wrong for me to pray for buhari since he's form the opposite party.

Mbamally:
Thats why this country will never be develop. We Nigerians always keep insulting our leaders, and thats what makes them to be bad too. But as we keep praying for them we will definitely see the change. Pls go and check the Qur'an/Bible, these two holy books never thought us to insult our leaders rather than to pray for them.


So please #LetUsPray4OurLeader

NgeneUkwenu:
See the speculated Name:

Stealing Is Not Corruption Party: (SINCP)

Chairman Board Of Trustee: Patience Jonathan

Chairman Of The Party: Sambo Dasuki

Presidential Candidate: Ebele Jonathan

Vice Presidential Candidate: Ayo Fayose

Senate President: Nyesom Wike

Buhari Own Don finish in 2019!! We will humiliate him...

Up SINCP!!!

Share The Security Fund!!!

Mbamally:
We are not insulting him. You (PDP) are the ones that are insulting him, even though I didn't vote for him but I always pray for him, let him bring change to our dear country.

#MerryXmas and #HappyEidMaulud

BALLOSKI:
God knows I always pray for this man to succeed; I now pray for the president of Nigeria more than I pray for myself.

Change is here!

The 2016 budget is fueled by insincerity, shrouded in fantasy, built on tall dreams and spawned by deceit, ignorance and the illusion of change. It is bloated, unrealistic, expensive, cosmetic and it will not result in anything good.

Realdeals:
Everyone should remain calm until September/October 2016. I want to believe those that work on the budget are no fools.

braine:
Keep spreading false news.