Encomium
-4 reasons Buhari should re-present it
Patriots pained about the collapsing economy have called on President Muhammdu Buhari to withdraw the vexatious 2016 budget loaded with frivolous sums against questionable projects now!
With big and small companies offloading employees into the labour market, collapsing and dying, naira crashing to over N330 against the dollar at the black market, and stock market losing over N6 trillion from market capitalization of quoted companies in 18 months, the economy needs reflation.
And only a painstakingly prepared budget which addresses these economic woes, that can stimulate the real sector, without padded figures and unnecessary allocations to fictitious projects, will save Nigeria.
Concerned Nigerians, worried that the adorable, upright leader of the most populous black nation is fast losing his goodwill on account of the shoddiness of the budget, want him to withdraw the document, sanction those who smuggled in indefensible projects and sums, and present a new one in tune with the realities on ground.
‘The 2016 budget is a mess prepared by corrupt civil servants who deceived ministers who were in a hurry and misled President Buhari into this embarrassing position”, an angry activist told ENCOMIUM Weekly.
“Going through the budget, some of the allocations, many of them now disowned by ministers, are criminal. The budgets of the last few years were just dusted, and money allocated to nonsensical projects.
“This budget can’t pass any test conducted by serious minded people, it has to be withdrawn and re-worked!”
In the last few days during the budget debate in the National Assembly, many errors have been spotted, apart from the padded figures and allocations.
Observers have highlighted the N89 million for kitchen/canteen equipment in Aso Rock, N3.9 billion Aso Rock maintenance, N15 billion security vote by the presidency and N4 billion Aso Rock clinic as indefensible.
Cost of computers, websites and vehicles further exposed the mess in the budget.
4reasons Buhari should withdraw and re-present 2016 budget
The 2016 Budget of Change with its padded, nonsensical and vexatious allocations should be withdrawn from the National Assembly, re-worked and re-presented after it aligns with the aspirations of Nigerians, and it is in tune with the realities on ground.
Here are some of the reasons advocated for a brand new budget by patriots…
- It is the right thing to do
When a mistake is made, no matter how embarrassing, the first step is to acknowledge it, apologise and make amends.
To restore faith in Nigeria, especially following a new wave of patriotism and support for President Buhari in the war against corruption, the budget must be withdrawn.
The present budget romantices and glamorizes corruption. And it must be flushed down the toilet.
- Agrees with Buhari’s serious, focused and spartan persona
Working on a brand new budget with a foundation on the realities on ground, jettisoning frivolous and roguish allocations, far agrees with Buhari’s persona.
The present budget is so not in consonance with all our President stands for. It is a ridicule of our common sensibilities, at variance with change and what we voted for.
The serious, focused and spartan persona of President Muhammadu Buhari is not on the same page with the mess tagged budget 2016.
- Restores faith in Buhari and the change mantra
Renowned economists have labeled the budget as a lazy re-work of previous ones. Nigerians need a departure from the ‘business as usual approach’ where serious and life changing activities are done shoddily.
Calling experts to work with ministers on a brand new budget that captures the signs of the times and lays a foundation for development will restore Nigerians’ faith in Buhari administration, and further garner support for its change mantra.
Change is not in the chants, but in action!
- Saboteurs will be easily identified and punished to deter others
The mafia milking Nigeria dry, civil servants, contractors and politicians, will be easily identified as experts work on a new budget. Those who smuggled in unbelievable figures can then ‘face the music’.
Over the years, laziness and sloth have allowed thieves and thugs to hijack our collective future – and putting a stop to this mess will show all that things must be done properly.
