Buhari, Saraki Slam FG overNational Conference, Subsidy ExpenditureFormer Head of State, Maj-General Muhammadu Buhari and former Governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, yesterday came down hard on the federal government over what they described as indefensible waste of national resources on the funding ofthe National Conference and a corrupt subsidy regime.Buhari in his opening remarks at thefirst Progressive Governors-Legislative-Civil Society Roundtable, with the theme: ‘Improving governance through Transparent Budgeting, Accountability and Effective Public Financial Management, in Abuja, said rather dissipate scarce resources on the conference, the government would have worked withthe National Assembly to review the relevant sections of the constitution.He said the issues being tabled at the conference are issues that would have been taken up effectively by the National Assembly.“What I express about the conference is a personal view, that itis the duty of the National Assembly. The elites would have gotten themselves together and ask the National Assembly to sponsor abill for some amendments to the constitution. I do not think that at this time when government is finding it difficult to pay salaries of workers, it can afford to waste billions of naira on the conference,” he said.Speaking on the controversy surrounding the expenditure on subsidy for petroleum products, Saraki said there was every reason to believe that the subsidy regime itself had been very badly managed by the relevant government ministry overseeing it.He said the wide disparity between the money spent on subsidy and theamount on the budget goes to point to the issue of lack of accountability.On why the National Assembly has not been able to prevent it, he said a look at the various resolutions of the assembly would show clearly the position of the legislature on the matter.According to Saraki, the fuel subsidyexpenditure alone poses a great danger to the economy and the survival of the country.“You can hear the government saying that they do not think they will not be able to sustain the subsidy. The answer is not to stop the subsidy because you do have the political will to manage it properly but to ensure that there is the right political will to check the excesses on the subsidy.“Today the federal government is spending close to N 700 million on the subsidy an item that its impact is not felt by the intended members of the public. As long as we continue to run the subsidy like this, our capital expenditure will never beable to meet expectations.“About N1.3 trillion which was not appropriated for but is taken at source from the national revenue is a threat to the national economy,” he said.For instance, the former governor said the country do not use more than 35 million litres of petrol whereas a look at cost profile showsa huge difference that indicates that we consume more than 35 million litres. According to him, an efficient petrol subsidy management can solve most of the problems being experienced in the subsidy regime.Speaking on the oversight function of the National Assembly, he said something must be wrong about the way the oversight function is used.“Let us not allow anybody to deceive us, the problem is not the subsidy but its management,” Saratisaid. He said there has to be sanctions to curtail some of the accesses being witnessed in the subsidy management if the country was going to move forward.While making a remark the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, urged the party to stop the culture of imposition of candidates to move ahead of the competition.Okorocha said: “Our victory is in ourhands, it is left for us to make it or mar it, but I believe we can make it. Ibelieve that this issue of imposition of candidates must stop in APC and that is the only way.APC in its communique at the end ofthe roundtable, called for the creation of a national budget timetable to ensure that the budgeting process is not subject to the whims and caprices of the federal government.It also suggested that structures andinstitutions at all levels must be strengthened to ensure accountability in budgeting. The communique added that: “There is need for more vigorous public hearings in relation to budgets and public expenditure processes;“There is urgent need to set up a National Assembly Budget Office similar to the Congressional Budget Office in the USA“Progressive Governors should put in place structures and programmesto fight corruption and poverty which undermine transparency, security, participation and fundamental freedom; “Legislators and Civil Society Organisations must work together to promote public awareness and ensure that the public is able to demand for accountability for all public funds budgeted and spent;“Need for the public to view public funds as their own and respond to the way they are spent.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 01:09:50 +0000
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