Education

2024 budget: Senators decry poor funding for power, education

Barely 72 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill before joint session of the National Assembly, it scaled Second Reading on the floor of the Senate on Friday with the lawmakers expressing disaffection over the absence of the document for them to have insight into budgetary provisions for Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).

Some of the lawmakers in their individual contributions on the Bill expressed strong reservations over provisions for power and education.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe dismissed the 3% provision for the power sector as he noted that it was not adequate considering the fact that every other sector in the country is tied to stable and adequate power supply.

He said: “I have looked at the Appropriation Bill and I discovered that the provision for the power sector is 3%. Power is very fundamental. How do we generate jobs if there is no power? I think we need to reorder the budget otherwise the whole thing will be garbage in, garbage out.”

Former President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, also aligned with Senator Abaribe position on poor budgetary provisions for the power sector.

Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, in his submission said the provision for education was paltry and showed lack of determination to meet up the agitation for quality funding by Nigerians, particularly the sustained outcry from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Senator Morro noted that the Tinubu administration’s 7% provisions for education in the 2024 Appropriation Bill fell short of the United Nations Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO ) benchmark of 26% in the annual budget of nations

He said:”UNESCO has urged nations to set aside 26% of its annual budget on education. 7% on education fall short of expectations.

“I think the time has come for us to vote money for education. Most of our children are leaving for education abroad. We must address this.”

Tribune Online checks revealed that UNESCO had in the Education For All Report for 2000 to 2015 tagged, ‘The Dakar Framework for Action,’ called for significant increase in financial commitment by national governments and donors to the education sector to accelerate progress towards the EFA goals.

On benchmark for funding, the organisation had proposed that governments should spend between four per cent and six per cent of GNP on education and that within the government budget, between 15 per cent and 20 per cent should be earmarked for education.

Senators Amos Yohanna and Adams Oshiomhole disagreed on the foreign exchange rate pegged at N750 to a Dollar.

While Senator Yohanna submitted that something must be done about the parallel market rate which he claimed created distortion for the monetary policy, the Senator representing Edo North however faulted him as he maintained that it was a misnomer for the Parliament to legislate on foreign exchange.

Oshiomhole said: “Exchange rate isn’t a matter for Parliament to debate, it is not a political matter. It is an issue that must be driven by well thought out macro economic policies. The nation must focus on job creation, producing more at home rather than importation.So, I think we can stick to the N750 rate “

Senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, asked the Senate to urge the Executive arm to return money taken from capital projects in the 2023 Budget which was removed and allocated for provision of palliatives in the 2023 Supplementary Budget.

“Those money should be returned for the projects they are meant for now that we have the 2024 Appropriation Bill.”

Senator Ahmad Lawan in his contribution appealed to the Senate to continue to give support to the present administration in its determination to tackle insecurity but urged his colleagues to be conscious of the parliament oversight role.

“We must know how the funds were put into use and the targets that were achieved. I will urge the National Assembly to never get tired of providing more and more funds for security.”

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