Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has
lamented that ineffective implementation of past budgets and abandonment
of projects have led to wastage that has negatively affected the
nation’s economy in the last 16 years.
Saraki, according to a statement on
Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, stated this at an
interactive session with Civil Society Organisations on the 2016 budget
in Abuja.
In order to correct the anomaly, Saraki
said the 8th National Assembly had stepped up its oversight functions to
ensure that funds were spent judiciously.
He also noted that diversification was crucial to the success of the nation’s economy.
The National Assembly, he added, was
working to pass laws that would “boost internally generated revenues by
plugging the loopholes that exist in our system and encouraging the
small and medium-scale business owners in our communities.”
Saraki commended the over 100 CSOs that participated in the interactive session.
He said, “We know that the work ahead of
us is necessary. We also know that the road ahead of us will be lined
with challenges. However, we also know that we cannot do this alone. We
need all hands on deck for this one.
“In this regard, in response to the
citizens’ concerns and public expectations, the 8th National Assembly,
through this platform and the various others that we have set up online,
will continue to be accessible to you. We will work tirelessly to
address your concerns; after all, we are only here because of you.”
The Senate president said the maiden
interactive session was convened to allow both the members of parliament
and the CSOs to explore new angles, consider fresh opinions and weigh
new suggestions on the reasonable changes that needed to be made, and on
the best way to forge ahead with the 2016 appropriation process.
“This is not only an opportunity for you
to air your views, it is also a window that has presented itself that
will allow all of us to work together to pass a budget that we can all
be proud of,” Saraki added.
Representatives of the various CSOs
expressed support for the National Assembly’s decision to postpone the
passage of the 2016 Appropriation Bill due to numerous errors and
padding of figures discovered in the document.
The groups, from various zones across
the country, said by postponing the passage of the budget, the National
Assembly had saved the country from being short-changed by enemies of
progress in the public offices, whose sole aim was to satisfy their
personal interests.
The National Assembly had on Tuesday
shifted indefinitely the February 25 deadline earlier fixed for the
passage of the 2016 Appropriation Bill due to numerous errors and
padding of figures, which it noted required more time to correct.
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