Reps Minority will insist on full implementation of 2020 budget ― Elumelu

The Minority leader of the House of Representatives Hon. Ndudi Elumelu on Sunday assured that the opposition caucus would step up its oversight activities in order to ensure effective monitoring and full implementation of the N10.59 trillion budget for 2020 fiscal year.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, Hon Elumelu disclosed that the minority leadership had already worked out an end-to-end monitoring strategy that would ensure effective implementation, check corruption, diversions and plug waste in the effective implantation of the budget when signed into by President Muhammadu  Buhari.

Hon Elumelu stated that Nigerians have placed confidence on the opposition for a solution and as such had directed opposition lawmakers to braced up to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that budgetary provisions, especially those that have direct bearing to the wellbeing of the masses were all fully and evenly implemented.

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According to the statement: “Consequently, the minority leader has directed all opposition lawmakers to insist on intensified budget oversight in their respective committees to guarantee transparency and strict compliance to expenditure items, figures and location, as passed.

“Part of the implementation monitoring strategy is to stimulate citizen’s ownership of the budgetary project by carrying the people along through free flow of information, especially on sitting, size, utility, cost, releases and job execution progress.”

The minority leader called on all lawmakers to ensure the effective and timely implementation of constituency projects in line with their avowed commitment to the people.

He also tasked the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to exert its implementation capacity to ensure that all funds released to them are fully utilized and accounted for.

Hon. Elumelu, however, cautioned the MDAs, particularly revenue-generating agencies, to bear in mind that Nigerians were already economically stressed and as such should develop more efficacious wealth-creating strategies that would not place more burden on the citizens.

The minority leader assured that the opposition would not relent but redouble its efforts in protecting the interest of the people while constructively disallowing any programme and policy that are inimical to the health of the nation.