Senate moves to review national budgeting process

The Senate Thursday resolved to hold a roundtable on national planning with a view to review the national budgeting direction towards the appropriate application of funds for development projects in the country.

The resolution of the Senate was sequel to the motion by Senator Stella Odua (Anambra North) entitled: “The need to establish a visionary budget-driven national planning framework for Nigeria”

In his remark before the resolution of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege who Presided over plenary, said he subscribed to the view that apparent lack of will was responsible for poor implementation of the budget to meet national aspiration in line with the development plan.

According to him: “I also disagree with those who said we lack resources, the resources are there but we may not have all the resources that we need, at least we have resources.

“I agree with those saying it has to do with the lack of political will. I believe that is what it comes down to,” he maintained.

In his motion for amendment of the resolution moved by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North), said the issues being canvassed by the bill are very important to national development, therefore, the Senate should resolve by holding a roundtable on national planning to address the critical issues by proferring solution to be acted upon by experts who will implement them.

According to him: The motion is very central to national development, with the way the budget is implemented, today there is no connection between the vision of the country and the implementation of the budget.

For this Senate to do justice in view of all the issues being canvassed is very important that we host a round table with stakeholders, we did with several other key sectors, we did that on power, we did that on solid minerals, we also did that on agriculture.

“That, this Senate with the leadership of the appropriate committees of Finance, Appropriation and National Planning organize a roundtable discussion with all agencies of government to come up with national planning and processes that will guide the future development of this country.”

Senator Stella Oduah had in her motion deliberated on the floor called on the Senate to identify and eliminate the obstacles that have posed a problem to the successful conceptualization and implementation of previous national development plans n Nigeria, ahead of the next generation of national plans.

She pointed out that there have been myriads of national development plans but all have not yielded the desired result.

Senator Stella said, In spite of incremental growth in the country nominal GDP and gross national income (GNI) over the years, the average Nigerian has experienced little or no change to their socio-economic status evidenced in the description of Nigeria as the world capital of poverty with 47.7%.

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Senator Ishaku Abbo, (Adamawa North) said the current budgeting process is scandalous because it does not actually capture the aspiration Nigerians.

He maintained that the needs of the people as determined by them should inform the budgeting process so that the national budget would reflect the needs of the people alongside the development plan.