A diversionary tactic to delay Nigeria’s 2017 budget?

Let me state unambiguously that I am only concerned about the early appropriation of the 2017 budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Other issues surrounding when, how, and where a copy of the 2017 budget got missing, and perhaps who took and returned it, can be subjected to public debate later. Senator Danjuma Goje, Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, claims that the 2017 budget was taken by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from his house in Abuja. But for lack of time, Nigerians would have blown sirens to the office of the Inspector General of Police, requesting for the immediate release of the file containing a copy the 2017 budget allegedly taken from the Senator’s home in Abuja recently. May be our senators are ignorant that Nigerians are only interested in the timely appropriation of the proposed 2017 budget.

Instead of utilizing available time to perform statutory functions, it’s almost becoming a culture in the Senate to expend precious time on activities that don’t add value to the lives of citizens. Nigerians are tired of hearing how budget documents got missing either from the Senate or from a senator’s home. The budget touches on the lives of many Nigerians particularly at a time when the nation’s economy is in recession. The entire world is watching Nigeria as the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) is gradually becoming a theatre of comedians.

You’ll recall that a few days ago, one Abdullahi Sabi informed the public that the passage of the 2017 budget would be delayed because some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the government didn’t appear before the Senate to defend their budgets. A friend of mine said “these people have come again with another diversionary tactic.” “This can’t be true,” I remarked. It’s because I am aware some MDAs haven’t defended their budgets before the Upper Chamber. Then came attention-grabbing news on the 2017 budget at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly which this columnist considers the “April declaration”vby Senator Goje. I thought my ears weren’t functioning properly. Did I hear Senator Goje say the NPF took the 2017 budget from his house?

An attempt to understand the allegation inspired me to ask several questions: What has the NPF got to do with 2017 budget; was the NPF mandated and by whom, to provide security for the 2017 budget so that it wouldn’t disappear just the way 2016 budget did; could this be a “fake news” pushed by the Senator in connivance with some mischievous elements in the country? I couldn’t provide an answer to all these questions.

Almost a year ago, Nigeria’s 2016 budget was covered in controversy. Within confines of the controversy, the 2016 budget was purported missing from the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly (NASS). When the 2016 budget was found, NASS members wanted Mr President to append his signature without vetting figures presented to him. Accordingly, I presented a piece in this column titled Frenemies Incorporatedon 12 April 2016. Barely a year after, the 2017 budget is purportedly missing. It’s disgusting to know that the budget of a nation of about 200 million people in Africa is allegedly missing.

The NPF has debunked claims by Danjuma Goje that files containing the Senate’s work on Nigeria’s 2017 budget proposals were carted away during a raid on the Senator’s residence. Indeed, Moshood Jimoh, the NPF’s voice on the matter says that “Goje’s claim was misleading and deliberately made to cast the police in bad light.”Jimoh, throws more light on the matter by saying that “none of the seized documents had anything to do with the budget, but other matters including business and political concerns and a document on how former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State allegedly plotted the murder of a cleric, Sheikh Jafaru.” What is of utmost concern to me, is the appropriation of the proposed 2017 Budget.

One would’ve thought that other members of the Appropriation Committee should have copies of the 2017 budget. The fact that Danjuma Goje’s copy of the 2017 budget is missing should not prevent a timely appropriation of the bill. Perhaps, what Danjuma Goje should have done is to report to the nearest police station to his home that an important file containing a copy of the 2017 proposed budget is missing. This will make the police investigate the matter. This is what ordinary Nigerians whose properties or documents are missing would have been counselled to do.

Some Nigerians asked: what was Goje doing with national budget documents in his house? Someone suggested, may be the document was taken home for padding. No budget padding o! Our senators affirmed in 2016 that “there is nothing like padding of the budget.” I believe our distinguished senators until they prove this otherwise in the 2017 budget. Furthermore, I argued that civil servants do take files home for need of urgency. In response, a friend differed saying “one of the reasons why Ibrahim Magu was not confirmed as the substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Senate was because he took some files home.” One can’t be too sure whether the claim by Danjuma Goje stating that the 2017 Budget is with the NPF isn’t a ploy to distract the people,and blow out of proportion the disagreement between the Executive and the Legislature. Anyway, what Nigerians want is that the 2017 Budget should be passed into law as soon as possible without padding.

MA Johnson