Buhari Returns 2016 Budget over Missing Projects (Details)

Fresh reports suggest President Muhammadu Buhari may return the 2016 Budget to the National Assembly for  rework after major projects in the document were removed by the national assembly.

This means the president will not sign the budget into law before leaving on a week-long visit to China.

According the Vanguard newspaper, a source within the presidency stated that Buhari is not happy at the complete removal of some projects as well as the huge slashing of the funds allocated for others.

Among the key projects yanked off the budget by the national assembly are the Calabar-Lagos coastal rail line for which Buhari had made a provision of N60 billion.

The lawmakers left the Kano/Lagos railway project untouched but also went ahead to reduce the amount set aside for the completion of the Idu/Kaduna railway project, which has reached an advanced stage of completion, by N8.7 billion.

“At the meeting, it was noticed that some very key aspects of the budget, which have to do with government’s core infrastructural focus, were removed. One of the projects is the subject of the President’s trip to China – the Lagos/ Calabar coastal railway project  –  for which a counterpart funding of N60bn was  provided,  but which was completely removed by the National Assembly,” a top official in the Presidency told Vanguard.

“The executive  is working on  two major rail arteries, among other rail projects, to service the northern and eastern parts of the country – the  Lagos/Kano line and the  Calabar/Lagos line. While the Lagos-Kano provision was left untouched, the Calabar/ Lagos  line was removed. The projects are to be funded  jointly by governments of China and Nigeria. It is one of the main reasons  for the President’s scheduled trip to China.

“Also, the amount proposed for the completion of the Idu/Kaduna rail project which has reached an advanced stage, was reduced by N8.7bn, a development which will make it difficult for the project to be completed”.

The source also claimed that the allocation for major roads were reduced by the lawmakers.

“The amounts provided by the National Assembly for the projects can neither complete the on-going road projects nor the new ones proposed. At the end of the year, no progress would have been made”.

The lawmakers also removed funds for essential health campaigns and programmes such as funds for polio vaccine and funds for the purchase of essential drugs to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“It was also observed that certain provisions made in the areas of agriculture and water resources to further the Federal Government’s diversification project were either removed or reduced while the funds were moved to provisions of rural health facilities and boreholes, for which provisions have been made elsewhere,” the official said.

“The President is desirous of signing the Bill into law so that implementation of the provisions could begin in earnest for the benefit of the people. That is why the moment he received the document on Thursday, a meeting was convened for Friday to immediately start work on it,” the source added.

Source – Vanguard