2005 Budget: Mixed Reaction from Lawmakers
From Kola Ologbondiyan and Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja
There were mixed reaction from members of the National Assembly to the 2005 budget proposals presented by President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday.
The Senate Committee on Appropriation and Finance chairman, Senator John Azuta-Mbata, as well as his deputy, Senator Abubakar Maikafi, described the 2005 Budget as "good and promising indeed."
Azuta-Mbata also described the budget's $27 benchmark as "reasonable because they have to juxtapose it with the on-going price which is $53 so there is enough margin for savings that would guide against any price fluctuations in the future."
On the resort to capital market by the Federal Government to source fund, he said, "it depends on the level to which they would participate. The government should show a token interest in the market that would generate confidence. It should not embark on any jumbo funds because that would crowd out the organised private sector."
Maikafi, however, added that the "Federal Government has done fairly good in the implementation of the 2004 Budget even though a lot is still being expected by the Nigerian public. Having said that, the thrust of the proposed 2005 Budget looks very realistic and I believe if given the chance, the budget would be implementable."
Senate Committee on Police Affairs chairman, Senator David Mark, noted that "the windfall happening in the oil sector has to be taken with caution and the $27 benchmark is very realistic. If at the end of the day, it remains high, it would be another windfall because it is better to err on the side of caution.
"The due process is a bit of problem because people are not used to it but it is a very good check put in place. Whatever money is due for the period is now being put in Central Bank and once you go through due process the money for capital project is ready and you can collect it."
Commending Obasanjo for early presentation of the budget, Mark maintained that the police is "seriously under-funded and even with this budget, even though it looks that with 7.2 per cent police appear well positioned in the allocation, this is minimal when you look at what you expect of the police."
"We would still make a case with Mr. President because at the moment what we have is quite inadequate for the police," Mark added.
However the All Nigerian Peoples Party caucus in the House yesterday dismissed the budget proposal as lacking basic ingredients to solve the problem of Nigerians.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the presentation, its Leader, Hon. Ahmed Salik said that the budget smacked of insensitivity to the needs of the people.
He said that contrary to the claim of Mr. President that over 80 per cent of the 2004 Capital Budget had been implemented or released, reports from the field showed otherwise.
Salik who was flanked by members of his party accused the President of telling lies over his claim that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency had completed work on Kaduna-Abuja and some other roads like the Enugu-Port Harcourt express way.
He pointed out that the murmurs, which greeted the President put a lie to the claim, pointing out that he had just survived an accident on the Abuja-Kaduna road when he lost a tyre to a pothole.
On the power projects the President said he was constructing, Salik said that it was only in the South-west that power plants were being built while alleging that more viable ones in the South-east and the North have been ignored.
Salik lamented that constituency projects only existed on paper
He asked how any serious government would give only two per cent of the budget to Agriculture even when it was obvious that over 75 per cent of the rural populace relied on farming.
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