Forty-eight hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2019 general elections, the Federal Government has admitted that politics will take centre stage, as governance will assume a back seat this year.
To this end, the Presidency has ruled out improved economic activities in 2018.
Specifically, it called for expeditious approval of the budget, adding that early politicking may disrupt implementation of the 2018 budget.
The election timetable indicated that political parties are expected to conduct their primaries from August 18 to October 7, 2018, even as commencement of campaigns by political parties will commence on November 18, 2018.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Federal Character at the 2018 budget defence on Thursday, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said the Federal Government may not fully implement the 2018 budget if the National Assembly fails to pass it on time.
According to him, serious government business will end by November 2018.
“I will make an appeal that the 2018 budget must be passed on time. We do not have time. If you consider the time left for us as politicians and in line with the timetable released by INEC, you will realise that we have till November 2018 to do what we have to do.
“By then, politicians will be engaged in political activities. There will be no time. I am appealing that we pass this budget on time. This is the last budget we will have to deliver on the dividends of democracy. For those of you coming back, promises will not work. What will work will be the scorecard.
“I am begging that it should be passed as quickly as possible. I am also appealing to the Executive arm to appear for budget defence. Intense political activities will begin in this February and as public officials, we have to quickly deliver,” he said.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had while presenting the N8.612 trillion to the joint session of the National Assembly on November 7, 2017, appealed for approval of the document by December 31, 2017 to allow for seamless flow of the January to December budget timeline. But the leadership of the National Assembly blamed the Presidency for poor preparation of the budget document, a situation it said had dashed the hope for early approval of the budget.
Consequently, they extended the 2017 budget till March 31, 2018 to allow for better implementation of the appropriation act.
At the moment, budget defence is ongoing, as the upper legislative chamber is expected to resume plenary on January 16, 2019.
Economic experts say delayed budget would affect implementation of the 2017 to 2020 Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
The SGF told lawmakers that President Buhari has approved the setting up of a monitoring unit in his office, to track budget implementation by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Mustapha said ministers have been given a template to collate projects executed since 2015, when Buhari came into office. He added that the outcome of the exercise will assist Nigerians in assessing Buhari’s government at the end of his administration.
He explained: “Let me assure you that whatever the National Assembly budgets for the MDAs, Ministers will give detailed reports on what they have done since 2015. From now till the end of February, they will give briefings. We have given them the template they need to use to carry out this exercise. At the end of the exercise, the entire tenure of the President will be assessed at a glance. The exercise is ongoing.
“At the end of the day, we might seek government’s approval to create a unit that will monitor projects. In some countries like the United Kingdom, there is such a unit in the office of the Prime Minister.”
He also explained why his office opted for monetisation of vehicles for former presidents and former Vice presidents. He said though the Appropriation Act clearly stipulates that vehicles should be bought for them, his office opted for the second option since it was a better choice.
He said: “A decision was taken that instead of buying them vehicles, the money should be given to them so that they can buy themselves. The purchase of these vehicles is tenured. It is done after every four years.
“The issue of the purchase of vehicles, I agree is an Appropriation Act. The issue of monetisation is done in the MDAs. It is also done in the National Assembly. Some of these former leaders may not even want to buy Prado jeeps which the law says. But many of them may not like it. They may prefer saloon cars which maybe more comfortable for them. That was why we released a memo for them to do that.”
Responding, Chairman of the committee, Tijani Kaura, promised that the leadership of the National Assembly will pass the budget as soon as possible.
He told the SGF that lawmakers had to cut short their holidays so as to consider the 2018 budget.
“The leadership is keen on passing the budget on time. That is why we cut our vacation short to be here to attend to budget defence. This is to tell you the importance of this issue. If you look at the 2017 budget, you will see that this committee did not tamper with the figure submitted to us. We did that because we know the enormous responsibility attached to that office,” he said.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
