Reps seek upward review of N45.32bn proposed budget for North East Development Commission

Members of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, called for upward review of the N45.32 billion proposed for North East Development Commission (NEDC) in the 2021 budget proposal.

The resolution was passed after the adoption of a motion on the need to address the fiscal and infrastructural deficit in the North-East zone sponsored by Hon Zainab Gimba (APC-Borno) and 47 others.

In her lead debate, Hon Gimba observed that the economy of the zone was in shambles and drastically brought down by insurgency and associated acts of brigandage in the last 10 years.

Hon Gimba maintained that the ravaging security challenge which claimed several lives, aggravated food insecurity damaged road infrastructure, health and education sectors, also “weakened the economy and other sectors in the zone, while activities of Boko Haram insurgents, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other criminal elements have continued to pose serious threats to the socio-economic stability of the zone, precipitating poverty, high mortality, and other humanitarian crises.”

The lawmaker, who observed that only an intensive plan can restore these facilities, stressed that the need for development planning in addressing the obvious infrastructural deficit in the North East imposed by insurgents’ destructive activities, cannot be overemphasised.

According to her, despite the glaring infrastructural deficit in the North–East, the Federal Government proposed paltry “sum of N45.32 billion in the 2021 budget estimates for capital projects in the North East, representing a mere 0.35 per cent of the N13.02 trillion budget proposal, which is grossly inadequate and would cause a grave setback to the quest of the people for decent living standard.”

While frowning at the inordinate attitude of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing towards the provision of road infrastructure in the region, she harped on the need for a thorough review of the road development plan in the North East.

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He lamented that lack of provision in the 2021 budget for Mambilla Hydro Power project that is meant to stabilise power supply in the zone”, adding that “the absence of consultation with core stakeholders and beneficiaries before projects, were proposed and implemented in the North–East Zone”, thereby reducing the impact of the projects on the area’s population

She argued that “the share of the North East from the N23 trillion post-COVID–19 Economic Stimulus for States remains unfair in view of socio-economic challenges confronting the North East, while the funds allocated for afforestation and other Climate targeted projects in the North East and North West Zones of Nigeria are either unimplemented, partially implemented or poorly implemented.”

The House adopted her motion wholesale, resolving that the House Committees on Finance and North East Development Commission, should liaise with the Ministry of Finance, to raise the budget for the region through the Service-wide Vote (A reserve exigency fund). The House also resolved to mandate the Committee on Finance to look into the sharing structure of COVID–19 Intervention Fund, while the House Committee on Environment is to ensure implementation of Climate Targeted Projects in the zone.

In the bid to save the region from total collapse, the House mandated the joint Committees on Finance, Appropriation and North East Development Commission to interface with Federal Ministry of Finance to see how to enhance provision for capital projects for the NEDC under the Service Wide Vote.

Also at plenary, the House approved for expenditure the N199.240 billion revised 2020 statutory Appropriation Act for Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Recall that the National Assembly had in December 2019 passed N278.35 billion FCT statutory budget for the 2020 financial year, but decided to slash it to N199.240 billion due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

Breakdown of the approved budget showed that the sum of N63,620,646,865 is for Personnel Costs; N55,393,961,085 is for Overhead Costs; while the balance of N80,225,923,400 is for Capital Projects for the financial year commencing January 1 and ending when the 2021 FCT Statutory Appropriation Act comes into effect.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE