‘Budget Padding Is Very Unfortunate, But Not Beyond Redemption’

Muhammad Labbo, Co-ordinator of Buhari Media Support Group (BMSG) speaks on the alleged padding of 2016 budget, the controversies it is generating and the way forward.

Is the President Buhari not embarrassed by the controversy trailing the 2016 budget?
WHAT happened is unfortunate, but the issue is not out of hand or beyond redemption. Transparency is the guiding philosophy of the Buhari’s administration, and, therefore, he would not be part of anything to encourage fraud in any form, let alone anybody using the 2016 budget to gain private profits. This is a people’s budget, and the budget would ensure nothing untoward derails it. This issue is a temporary hiccup.

Was the budget hurriedly prepared by the Presidency?
At this stage, the primary preoccupation of the Presidency is to get the budget passed. You are aware that in the early stages of this problem, the Presidency admitted the errors and amended the budget and re-submitted it.

The buck stops at the President’s desk and he is leaving no stone unturned in addressing this issue once and for all.
Who is to blame for the budget padding?
If anybody surreptitiously padded the budget for private gain, such people are wasting their time. The President would deal with any fraud that crept into the 2016 budget.

He promised to run a government founded on accountability, and anybody that breaches these principles in the preparation of the budget would ultimately be found out and dealt with accordingly.

At this stage, the primary preoccupation of the Presidency is to get the budget passed. You are aware that in the early stages of this problem, the Presidency admitted errors and amended the budget and re-submitted it. The buck stops at the President’s desk and he is leaving no stone unturned in addressing the issue once and for all

What will be the fate of the top civil servants allegedly involved in the padding of the budget?
The Buhari administration will treat seriously any case or cases of fraud or attempted fraud or graft. Before he takes action, however, he must follow due process by investigating the origin of the padding and those responsible.

What is the way forward as the National Assembly members have suspended budget passage indefinite?
The suspension is unfortunate, but it is a temporary hiccup which shall be addressed as urgently as people. The Presidency and the National Assembly are united by common goals, that is the welfare of the people they represent. And that budget encompasses the basic needs of the ordinary Nigerians. Therefore, the suspension is not an issue beyond resolution. The overall interest of the ordinary Nigerians comes before anything else.

Of course, the interests of Nigerians would influence the thinking of both the executive and the legislative branches of government. Timely budget implementation is critically important, and that is why the Presidency and the National Assembly must work together to end the gridlock.

Do you view the members of National Assembly’s position as political?
Definitely not! President Buhari does not regard National Assembly members as rivals. Instead, he perceives them as partners-in-progress. The President is not angry with anybody, let alone attributing political motives to anybody over the suspension of the debate on the 2016 budget.

On the contrary, the Presidency believes that the scrutiny to which the budget is subjected to by Nigerians is good for our democracy. The inputs of Nigerians on the budget would ultimately enhance the quality of the budget if passed by the legislature.

We are in a democracy, and therefore, the rigours of scrutiny, which the budget faces is not unusual.
Is the Presidency planning to withdraw the controversial budget?
The President’s options are open in finding the fastest and practical solution to this unfortunate development. But don’t forget that the President is consulting widely and giving due consideration to new ideas. If the magnitude of the problem warrants the President taking a fundamental decision, he won’t hesitate to do so.