NASS in rowdy session as Buhari lays N8.83trn 2019 Budget
…Allocates N569.17bn lion’s share to Ministry of Interior
…APC, PDP trade tackles over unruly conduct
Display of political nuances by lawmakers who were apparently divided along party lines almost marred Wednesday presentation of the 2019 budget estimates of N8.83 trillion by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Green Chamber of the National Assembly, venue of the presentation, was thrown into confusion shortly before the arrival of the President.
Trouble started when some legislators believed to be members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) tried to prevent members of the opposition who had smuggled placards with different inscriptions into the chamber.
The placards were meant to show their displeasure over the expected representation of the President by his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
Legislators from the opposition had been chanting anti-Buhari songs since 11.30 am and increased the tempo at the entrance of Prof. Osinbajo.
Attempt to display some of the placards was resisted by a few APC Representatives which resulted in near fisticuffs.
While this uproar was going on, President Buhari made a dramatic entrance into the chamber and the shout of “Sai Baba! Sai Baba!” rented the air and he was escorted to his seat, while members of opposition booed him.
Before presenting the highlights of the 2019 budget, the President gave an exclusive scorecard of his administration since 2015, as well as performance of the 2018 budget which is still in operation and finally presented highlights of the 2019 budget estimates.
The presentation was continually interjected by cheers and jeers from both political camps.
The development prompted President Buhari to admonish the lawmakers at a stage, asking them to exercise responsible conduct on the grounds that the whole world were watching them.
Efforts to calm the rowdy situation immediately following President Buhari’s presentation was abortive as the session was hurriedly adjourned without the Principal Officers of the National Assembly having the opportunity of responding.
The 2019 Appropriation Bill presented by the president was N300 billion below the N9.1 trillion 2018 estimate.
Buhari said although the 2019 estimate was lower than the 2018 budget of N9.1 trillion, it was higher than the N8.6 trillion originally proposed by the executive to the National Assembly.
On sectoral allocation, the lion share of N569.07 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Interior while Defence got N435.62 billion, Education N462.24 billion and Health N315.62 billion.
The budget thrust tagged ‘Improved economy and sustainable polity’ was based on $61 benchmark, projected oil production of 2.3 million barrel per day, exchange rate of N305 to a dollar.
Other benchmarks are real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 3.01 per cent and inflation rate of 9.98 per cent.
According to Buhari, N4.04 trillion or 50.31 per cent is earmarked for recurrent expenditure and N2.03 trillion representing 22.98 per cent for capital projects.
Other estimates are N492.36 billion for statutory transfers, N2.14 trillion for debt servicing and provision of N120 billion as sinking fund.
He explained that the sinking fund would be used to “retire maturing bonds to local contractors”.
The total projected revenue, according to the president, is N6.97 trillion, which is three per cent lower than the 2018 estimate of N7.17 trillion.
Buhari said the expected income consisted of oil revenue projected at N3.73 trillion, and non-oil revenue estimated at N1.39 trillion.
“The estimate from non-oil revenue consists of N799.52 billion from company income tax; N229.34 billion from value added tax, and customs duties of N302.5 billion.
“We have reduced our expectations from independent revenue N624.58 billion.
“Other revenues expected in 2019 include various recoveries of N203.38 billion; N710 billion as proceeds from the restructuring of government equity in joint ventures, and other sundry incomes of N104.1 billion,” he said.
The president explained that the total N8.83 trillion proposed expenditure for 2019 included grants and donor funds amounting to N209.92 billion.
The budget deficit is projected to decrease to N1.86 trillion or 1.3 per cent of the GDP in 2019 from N1.95 trillion projected for 2018.
“This reduction is in line with our plan to progressively reduce deficit and borrowings over the medium term,” he said.
Contrary to denials on several occasions by the government of subsidy payment, President Buhari accepted subsidy payment by his government and went ahead to make budgetary provisions of N305 billion for Petroleum subsidy in 2019.
“We have allowed N305 billion equivalent of $1 billion as under recovery for NNPC on importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in 2019”, said Buhari.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) traded tackles over the rowdy session witnessed at the National Assembly on Wednesday during the presentation of the 2018 Budget by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, venue of the Budget presentation, was thrown into confusion as opposition lawmakers intermittently booed the President while he read out the Budget estimates.
While the APC described the actions of the PDP lawmakers during the presentation of the 2019 Budget as an act of irresponsibility, the PDP said the booing of President Buhari by some lawmakers on the occasion indicated that Nigerians have passed a vote of no confidence on the President.
The APC speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issah- Onilu, at the party Secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja said: “The PDP should be aware that the disgraceful conduct and actions of its legislative caucus has succeeded in eroding the remnant of the public’s respect, (if any) that the party has in the eyes of any respectable Nigerian.
The PDP has further confirmed its unsavoury image in the eyes of well-meaning Nigerians, that the party is largely populated by self-serving and unpatriotic members, whose sole aim in politics is to promote their self-interests at the expense of the country’s interests.
“By law, respect for the office of the president or head of government in any clime is not a matter of choice but a civic obligation sanctioned by laws.
Being an opposition party or critic is no licence for such wayward conduct by the PDP legislative caucus; most especially against the president of the country”.
According to Onilu, not even the admonition of the President to the PDP lawmakers, that “you are on international TV, comport yourselves, adding, “The world is watching us; we should be above this,” was heeded.
“Nigerians are not oblivious of the actions and inactions of the National Assembly presiding officers, Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara while the President was being heckled by the PDP legislative caucus. Their failure to rein in their unruly PDP colleagues, while their show of shame lasted clearly confirmed that the PDP members’ action was premeditated and orchestrated to embarrass the President. “When the APC was in opposition, Nigerians will recall statements by the PDP government that the immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan did not personally present the national budget to the National Assembly based on fears that he will be heckled and embarrassed by the opposition federal lawmakers at the time. The fears turned out to be misplaced as that never happened when Jonathan eventually presented the national budget. Such shameful and undignified practice has no place in our progressive ideology. “The PDP lawmakers and their conniving leaders have a lot of questions to answer. First, we wonder why they cannot stomach the evident and verifiable achievements of the APC-led Government in the areas of power, rail and road infrastructure, social intervention programmes as contained in the proposed budget”, the spokesman said. The party commended President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining calm and focused during the budget presentation despite the provocation from PDP lawmakers, an act of statesmanship that has been acknowledged by Nigerians. “We are equally proud of the APC lawmakers, who stood firm in defence of the President and our great party during the budget presentation.
“We call on the National Assembly to rise above political and selfish interests by putting the country first in its consideration of the proposed N8.83 trillion 2019 national budget. “The proposed budget provides a realistic and implementable framework that will spur the administration’s effort to achieve a prosperous, strong and stable Nigeria”, the party said. However, while PDP described the booing of the President by some lawmakers during the presentation of the 2019 budget as a vote of no confidence on Buhari, the party said it was not true that the incident was instigated by the PDP. Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. He said the direct booing, jeering and rejection of President Muhammadu Buhari by was done members of the two chambers of the National Assembly. He said: “The spontaneous action of the lawmakers, at the joint session of the National Assembly, is a resounding and unambiguous vote of no confidence and unmistaken expression of President Buhari’s rejection by the Nigerian public, across the divides, who are fed up with his incompetent, divisive and corrupt administration, which has brought so much hunger, starvation, escalated violence and bloodletting to our country. “Today’s (Wednesday’s) open rejection of President Buhari by the lawmakers, representing all the federal constituencies and senatorial zones across our country, shows that Mr. President no longer enjoys the support of Nigerians across the country; that he no longer has any political foothold and only awaits a crushing defeat in the 2019 general election. “What else do Nigerians want from a President who has openly confessed his lack of capacity to find solutions to the myriads of problems his administration brought and on that note promised Nigerians more sufferings and hardship in the coming year? “This is more so as his scripted presentation at the budget session was full of false performance indices, claims of non-existent projects, half-truths, bogus fiscal projections, beguilements and new list of fake promises, which Nigerians have since seen through”. The party insisted that the President dwelt on fictitious figures, unrealistic projections and could not give a credible account of the performance of the 2018 budget, which like other annual budgets, since he came into office. The PDP also said in the budget, it is ridiculous that Mr. President can defend N60 million litres of fuel as daily consumption by vehicles in Nigeria whereas before he was elected into office, he publicly declared that the use of 30 million litres of fuel per day was a fraud. “Is not also ludicrous that between 2015 and now, the figure of daily consumption of fuel has doubled in the same economy that has witnessed a secession twice under his watch?” he quipped. He added that the President could not give cogent explanation on the handling of defence budgets under his watch particularly in the face of allegations of diversion of military funds to fund his re-election bid as well as the neglect of the troops, leading to the killing of hundreds of our soldiers fighting insurgency in the North East. “By today’s (Wednesday’s) experience, it should be clear to Mr. President and the APC that the game is up and that Nigerian are no longer ready to accept an incompetent administration that thrives only in propaganda, falsehood and deceit. Our citizens are very eager to usher in a new era of credible, transparent and competent government; the very reason they are rallying behind the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar”, he said. The party alleged that all that is left for President Buhari and the APC is to accept their rejection and end their schemes to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security forces into their desperation to cause confusion and rig the election as such will be firmly resisted by Nigerians. Tunde Opalana and Henry Omunu, & Tom Okpe, Abuja
“Nigerians are not oblivious of the actions and inactions of the National Assembly presiding officers, Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara while the President was being heckled by the PDP legislative caucus. Their failure to rein in their unruly PDP colleagues, while their show of shame lasted clearly confirmed that the PDP members’ action was premeditated and orchestrated to embarrass the President. “When the APC was in opposition, Nigerians will recall statements by the PDP government that the immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan did not personally present the national budget to the National Assembly based on fears that he will be heckled and embarrassed by the opposition federal lawmakers at the time. The fears turned out to be misplaced as that never happened when Jonathan eventually presented the national budget. Such shameful and undignified practice has no place in our progressive ideology. “The PDP lawmakers and their conniving leaders have a lot of questions to answer. First, we wonder why they cannot stomach the evident and verifiable achievements of the APC-led Government in the areas of power, rail and road infrastructure, social intervention programmes as contained in the proposed budget”, the spokesman said. The party commended President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining calm and focused during the budget presentation despite the provocation from PDP lawmakers, an act of statesmanship that has been acknowledged by Nigerians. “We are equally proud of the APC lawmakers, who stood firm in defence of the President and our great party during the budget presentation.
“We call on the National Assembly to rise above political and selfish interests by putting the country first in its consideration of the proposed N8.83 trillion 2019 national budget. “The proposed budget provides a realistic and implementable framework that will spur the administration’s effort to achieve a prosperous, strong and stable Nigeria”, the party said. However, while PDP described the booing of the President by some lawmakers during the presentation of the 2019 budget as a vote of no confidence on Buhari, the party said it was not true that the incident was instigated by the PDP. Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO), Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. He said the direct booing, jeering and rejection of President Muhammadu Buhari by was done members of the two chambers of the National Assembly. He said: “The spontaneous action of the lawmakers, at the joint session of the National Assembly, is a resounding and unambiguous vote of no confidence and unmistaken expression of President Buhari’s rejection by the Nigerian public, across the divides, who are fed up with his incompetent, divisive and corrupt administration, which has brought so much hunger, starvation, escalated violence and bloodletting to our country. “Today’s (Wednesday’s) open rejection of President Buhari by the lawmakers, representing all the federal constituencies and senatorial zones across our country, shows that Mr. President no longer enjoys the support of Nigerians across the country; that he no longer has any political foothold and only awaits a crushing defeat in the 2019 general election. “What else do Nigerians want from a President who has openly confessed his lack of capacity to find solutions to the myriads of problems his administration brought and on that note promised Nigerians more sufferings and hardship in the coming year? “This is more so as his scripted presentation at the budget session was full of false performance indices, claims of non-existent projects, half-truths, bogus fiscal projections, beguilements and new list of fake promises, which Nigerians have since seen through”. The party insisted that the President dwelt on fictitious figures, unrealistic projections and could not give a credible account of the performance of the 2018 budget, which like other annual budgets, since he came into office. The PDP also said in the budget, it is ridiculous that Mr. President can defend N60 million litres of fuel as daily consumption by vehicles in Nigeria whereas before he was elected into office, he publicly declared that the use of 30 million litres of fuel per day was a fraud. “Is not also ludicrous that between 2015 and now, the figure of daily consumption of fuel has doubled in the same economy that has witnessed a secession twice under his watch?” he quipped. He added that the President could not give cogent explanation on the handling of defence budgets under his watch particularly in the face of allegations of diversion of military funds to fund his re-election bid as well as the neglect of the troops, leading to the killing of hundreds of our soldiers fighting insurgency in the North East. “By today’s (Wednesday’s) experience, it should be clear to Mr. President and the APC that the game is up and that Nigerian are no longer ready to accept an incompetent administration that thrives only in propaganda, falsehood and deceit. Our citizens are very eager to usher in a new era of credible, transparent and competent government; the very reason they are rallying behind the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar”, he said. The party alleged that all that is left for President Buhari and the APC is to accept their rejection and end their schemes to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security forces into their desperation to cause confusion and rig the election as such will be firmly resisted by Nigerians. Tunde Opalana and Henry Omunu, & Tom Okpe, Abuja
