• Lawmakers beg Nigerians

From Fred Itua and Kemi Yesufu, Abuja

MEMBERS of both chambers of the National Assembly, yesterday, begged Nigerians to be patient, as they work tirelessly to lay and pass the 2016 national budget.
This is coming on the heels of the failure of both chambers of the National Assembly to keep to their promise of laying the 2016 budget on the floor. The leadership of the two houses had promised early in the month to lay the budget report on the 17th of March, 2016, but failed, citing technical hitches.
Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, while addressing journalists after yesterday’s plenary, said the budget could not be laid because Appropriation  Committee was yet to put final touches to it. He did not however explain when the budget will be passed if it is eventually laid next week.
Explaining further, spokesmen of the two chambers, Senator Abdullahi Sabi and Abdulrazak Namdas, who addressed a news press conference, said, members were careful not to repeat mistakes of the past, by hurriedly passing the budget.
Senator Sabi said: “You will recall we promised Nigerians that by today (yesterday), 17th March, we will be able to pass the 2016 appropriation. On Wednesday, I also confirmed to you that today (yesterday), that same appropriation bill will be laid, barring any last minute technical hitches or otherwise.
“We are here to let you know that as of now, we are unable to lay the 2016 appropriation  bill and thus we are hoping next week that process will be completed. When I briefed you, I recalled you were asking if the passage will be completed by next week. And we said, ‘Yes: When you lay the budget the next thing is for you to discuss the budget and get it passed. The two activities will be carried out next week, God willing.
“As far as we are concerned, we have not failed. What is happening is the seriousness with which we take the 2016 appropriation. It’s such that we cannot also afford to make errors that will become very costly to this nation. We have finished all necessary work within the context of the various committees. But remember when you do the paper work, you have to also get people who will sit down and check
what we call data cleansing and integration.
“That is the essence of what you call harmonization. This is something very technical and tedious and if you recall this is a very voluminous document. So, in our own understanding, we do want to rush just because we want to keep to a promise that today (yesterday) the budget must be passed. What we owe to Nigerians is a budget that is implementable; a budget that will kick-start the reflection of our national economy. It’s a budget that will help to create jobs and therefore stimulate our economic rebirth.
“So, that is what we have seen as a key objective and I want to assure you that for those of you who know statistics, in everything you do, you must give freedom for degree of error. And plus or minus five is the basic standard that I am aware of. And within this context, if next week, we will be able to take this, then within that margin of error, the National Assembly is still on course.
“We call on Nigerians to understand that we are as eager as you to get this budget out but at the same time, we owe you a duty to ensure that the budget that will be out is one that is implementable. And I think those handling this assignment are having sleepless nights just to ensure that we do a thorough job.”
Supporting the Senate position, Namdas said: “We all know that the 2016 Appropriation Bill is one of the most important bills that we have in the National Assembly. Therefore, we will not afford to make any mistake. In this eight Assembly, this is the first appropriation bill we are working on. We have realized that it is better we do things that will be applauded by the entire country than to rush and make some few mistakes. That will not be in our interests. I plead for your understanding and the understanding of the entire country that this is done in national interest and in a manner that we will do a very thorough job.”