Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe on Wednesday 20th January 2016 during consideration faulted 2016 budget proposal and called on President Muhammaduu Buhari to withdraw it and go back to the drawing board.
The Abia South lawmaker stated that predication of oil benchmark at $38 per barrel when oil prices had fallen below $30 per barel makes the budget not feasible.
``Mr President, my colleagues, this budget is indeed unique, after the budget presentation, the finance minister has never come to explain the details of the budget as it is normally done.
``It is a budget of change I agree but it is a change in the wrong direction; I say it is a change in the wrong direction because it says that it is based on zero budgeting requiring all expenses to be fully justified.
Abaribe faulted the government for increasing spending by 30 per cent based on borrowing.
``Mr President, a budget that increases spending up to 30 per cent based solely on borrowing, in what way is it justified? That is the question we want to ask the people who brought this budget as change.
``We know what is going on in the global economy: this budget is predicated on an oil benchmark of $38 per barrel and I can now say that with oil being $28 today, this Budget is dead on arrival.
``The job of the opposition is to help the government to get its priorities right so I want to please urge this government to withdraw this budget and go back to the drawing board,” he said.
He also faulted the adjustments made in the budget and allocation for spending in the Aso Rock Villa.
``Mr President, a budget that moves domestic spending within Aso Villa from N580 million to N1.7 billion cannot be a budget of change..
``We were told that in the revised Budget there was an adjustment due to error, we agree but what has happened is that the money up to N7 billion were moved from buying vehicles to being spread in offices.
``It also increases the spending that is due to renovations within the Villa: they are going to renovate the Villa with N3.9 billion: what else do you want to renovate there that Nigerians will see in the Year 2016,” he said.
In his contribution, Ahmed Lawan blamed the previous administration for the lack of funds due to the embezzlement witnessed in previous governments.
He said that this was the 17th budget he will be debating as a legislator noting sadly that not more than 40 per cent implementation was achieved in any of the last 16 years.
``The proposal before us is the first budget where the executive has deemed it necessary to give ordinary Nigerians genuine hope.
``The budget deserves the support of everyone including my colleagues on the other side: when we were in the opposition we supported the PDP, they should support us,” he said.
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