Akwa Ibom State 2020 budget betrays system failure-Udeme Nana
The 2020 budget of Akwa Ibom State Government has again come under serious scrutiny and attack.
The latest attack comes from an ace journalist, Dr. Udeme Nana, who posited that the document is not only flawed but has also betrayed system failure and lack of capacity particularly in the part of Akwa Ibom State Budget Office.
Dr. Nana made the remark while bearing his “random thoughts on the Akwa Ibom State 2020 Budget debate”.
“The Akwa Ibom State 2020 budget under discussion betrays one salient fact ; a system failure where the Budget office of the state has displayed a regrettable lack of capacity in the discharge of its responsibility.
“It seems to me that figures were just assembled haphazardly and packaged into a document for the Governor to present to the House of Assembly.
“The ‘system’ must address this because that is a red flag.The budget document under discussion is so flawed , it shows our dependence on expected receipts from the Federation Account , if that doesn’t come , we are doomed.
“It shows an overbloated public service with projected recurrent expenditures far outstripping estimates for capital / regenerative sectors,’ Dr Nana observed.
He was of the opinion that the 2020 Budget has failed to guide the state government in it’s quest to implement its vision and ideology, hinting that the abnormalities must not be allowed to repeat themselves in the 2021 Budget.
While regretinre that the budget estimate has not “passed the test of rigourous preparation”, Dr Nana expressed the need to encourage the citizenry “to engage the Legislature to subject the document at their disposal to forensic scrutiny with a view to shaving of several fanciful estimates and re – allocating funds to sectors of NEED.”
“It should be noted that a budget, at every level, provides a guide to managing development and its preparation is usually a very rigourous process.Budgets are produced on the basis of the vision of the Government in power.
“In enlightened societies , Governments are “elected” on the platform of the ideology or programmes of the political parties or unique strengths of candidates. During the budget cycle , the bureaucracy reduces the vision and programmes into achievable goals with financial ESTIMATES.
“We should note the emphasis on the word “estimates”. They are not actual costs as most people tend to assume. But the estimates give a picture of the weight or level of importance attached to sectors.
“Now that the Executive has done its bit which may not have passed the test of rigourous preparation, we should be encouraged to engage the Legislature to subject the document at their disposal to forensic scrutiny with a view to shaving of several fanciful estimates and re – allocating funds to sectors of NEED.
“That is the job of the Legislature because if the budget is not turned into a bill , the government cannot spend one Naira legally.
The two-time Chief Press Secretary to Akwa State Governor expressed dismay with the continuous inclusion of International Worship Centre, describing it as a breach of Constitutional provision.
“Government should have no hand in the worship centre as that, on its own, is a breach of the Nigerian Constitution which frames Nigeria as a secular state.Government must attach more importance to the Education sector , drive the completion of the Science and Technology Park, complete the MRO component of the Airport and empower our people through SME’s.
“This could be done by strengthening Co-operatives,” he advocated.
He advocated citizens engagement in the budget proposal and involvement in the processes.
“The business of citizens involvement must start earlier to influence the slant of our political leadership in the preparation of Budgets,” he said.
Dr Nana particularly lauded Arc Ezekiel Nya-Etok for spearheading the process and expressed the hope that the effort will strengthen democracy.
“This is a great step that would give our society a leap forward.Kudos to the initiators. It shows the beauty of democracy as a form of government because the people have an inalienable right to participate in the processes of governance. This effort would further deepen our democracy,” he posited.
