Don faults N455.4bn budgetary allocation to education sector

DR Lambe Mustapha, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin has faulted the N455.41 billion budgetary allocation to the education sector, describing it as grossly inadequate.

Mustapha said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that the country had negated the UNESCO standard, which stated that 26 per cent of the nation’s budget must be allocated to education.

The highlight of the budget as passed by the National Assembly on May 11 for the Ministry of Education showed that N455.41 billion was allocated to the sector.

Mustapha said that with N455.41 billion for education in the 2017 budget, the nation’s education would still remain in the doldrums, while calling on the Federal Government to improve budgetary allocation to the sector if the country must compete with the rest of the world.

“The amount for education makes the country look unserious, considering the UNESCO requirement. This is so small if we must take education as the bedrock of development,’’ he said.

According to Mustapha, budget remains an instrument of planning which affects every aspect of the citizenry, as a document is what the country relies on in its expenditure and must be taken seriously.

He, however, asked the government to exhibit political will and sense of commitment in implementing the 30 per cent capital budgetary allocation if the country must come off the current economic recession.

According to him, if the Federal Government can demonstrate political will, focus and set aside partisan politics to implement the 2017 30 per cent capital projects, we shall be out of economic recession.

“Contractors will be out executing projects, they will need workers to work on sites, constructions will be on, and this will have a multiplier effect on the economy.

He added that the full implementation of capital projects would empower the people, adding that it would also ensure redistribution of wealth.

Mustapha also frowned at the way the national assembly increased the budget by N143 billion, adding that such would not augur well for the country.

“I take side with the executive that increasing the budget while the country is still grappling with N3 trillion deficits can be suicidal, we should be wary of deficit because most of it will be used for recurrent at the end of the day.’’

NAN reports that the National Assembly Committee on Appropriation had increased the 2017 budget to N7.44 trillion, from N7.298 trillion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari, representing an addition of  N143 billion.

“The increase is needless, we can make do with the proposed one by the executive without tinkering with it, since the increase is on recurrent and not on capital expenditure, the national assembly should exercise caution,’’ he added.

He called on the executive and legislative arms of government to be realistic in their budgeting process, while calling for synergy between the two arms of government to fast-track development.