THE BUDGET OF CHANGE (NO MORE EXCUSES) BY UWAKWE ROLAND O.C

The President on Friday 6^th of May signed the 2016 budget into law, thus becoming an Act of the National Assembly; this was after series of imbroglio that greeted the Appropriation bill. A budget of N6.06 trillion is certainly the biggest budget since the nation’s independence in 1960, albeit this government may need a lot of borrowing to fund infrastructural development and stimulate the economy for productivity.

It is however important to remark that it does not make any political or economic sense to sign the National budget of the largest country in Africa by May, almost at the middle of the year, the dry season runs between October and May, therefore one wonders at how the roads already earmarked in the budget be fixed. More so, this is not a good time for the nation economically, as every sector of the economy is snowballing into calamitous end waiting to be rescued.

Meanwhile, since the composition of the present government on May 29, 2015, they have continued to put up one excuse or the other as to the reasons why they cannot fulfill their campaign promises; they point accusing fingers at the past government for not making suitable budget for the year 2015, so they have continued to postpone almost all government activities pending when they prepare their own budget. Due to this, Nigerians have been suffering; hence this government must move very fast to cushion the hardship on the people. This is not the time to tie the execution of projects with bureaucratic butternuts and unnecessary approvals, there has to be some form of compensation for the wasted time.

According to Mr. President, this year’s budget is tagged a budget of change, with 34 priority areas, that will see his administration focus on security, diversification of the economy, creating support for the poor and the vulnerable, reflating the economy through investment etc. Therefore Nigerians must experience the change promised them, every item on the budget must be carried out, this is the time the National Assembly should carry out its oversight functions without demanding anything from MDA’s, thus further asserting their independence. A budget of change must put food on the table of the ordinary man on the street, it should be able to light up the street, send our children to school, take care of the underprivileged and most important of all, protect and provide security for all Nigerians irrespective of their regions, languages, creeds and gender.

The Civil Service is the engine room of any government, therefore, the President must give an immediate order to the Accountant General of the Federation for the payment of promotion arrears and other outstanding allowances owed to them, this is very important because the government cannot achieve these goals without taking cognizance of the welfare of its staff.  The government will also have to remember that her workforce must key into the change mantra having enjoyed the old order, so the retraining of government staff should be top of the agenda. Let the change begin.