Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha yesterday urged the senate to exigently pass the 2018 budget as political activities will commence by next month, February. Mustapha said since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued the time table and schedule of activities for the 2019 general election to begin next month, the 2018 appropriation should be timeously passed by the National Assembly in order for the government to be able to fund political activities in the country. Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, The SGF who stated this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs at the National Assembly to defend 2018 budget proposal said this is not the time to go back to the electorate to make promises, rather to go and give score cards of performance. He insisted that the 2018 budget is highly unique and should be treated by the lawmakers with approaches different from the 2016 and 2017 budgets, most especially as the federal government has reverted to January-December Fiscal Financial year/calendar. Besides, Mustapha said that the performance of the 2018 budget will impact greatly not only on the executive, but also on the lawmakers since the electorate would not be singling any arm of government to blame or praise. Mustapha asked the National Assembly to pass the 2018 Appropriation Bill into law as soon as possible to forestall hiccups in budget implementation. President Muhammadu Buhari on November 7, 2017 presented 2018 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly urging the legislature to pass it in good time to reverse the life of budget cycle back to January-December. Before the senate proceeded on Christmas and New Year holiday, it threatened to dump the fiscal estimate over alleged inconsistencies and abysmal performance of the 2017 budget. Senate which had on December 5 adjourned plenary to December 19, 2017 to allow the standing committees to hold budget defence sessions for federal ministries, departments and agencies said on December 19 that there is no way it will pass the 2018 budget in December, 2017 as earlier pledged because the Appropriation Bill as presented to it by the executive is badly prepared. But SGF said the impact of the paucity of funds in 2017 on the performance of MDAs cannot be over-emphasized, adding that the situation needs to be addressed to improve the interface between the government and the governed. At the Senate budget defence session yesterday, Mustapha said: “I will make an appeal that the 2018 budget be passed on time. We do not have time. If you consider the time left for us as politicians and in line with the timetable released by INEC, you will realise that we have till November 2018 to do what we have to do. “By then, politicians will be engaged in political activities. There will be no time. I am appealing that we pass this budget on time. This is the last budget we will have to deliver on the dividends of democracy. For those of you coming back, promises will not work. What will work will be the scorecard. “I am begging that it should be passed as quickly as possible. I am also appealing to the executive arm to appear for budget defence. Intense political activities will begin in this February and as public officials, we have to quickly deliver.” The SGF also told lawmakers that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the setting up of a monitoring unit in his office, to track budget implementation by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Mustapha said ministers have been given a template to collate projects executed since 2015, when Buhari came into office. He added that the outcome of the exercise would assist Nigerians in assessing Buhari’s government at the end of his administration. He explained: “Let me assure you that whatever the National Assembly budgets for the MDAs, ministers will give detailed reports on what they have done since 2015. From now till the end of February, they will give briefings. We have given them the template they need to use to carry out this exercise. At the end of the exercise, the entire tenure of the President will be assessed at a glance. The exercise is ongoing. “At the end of the day, we might seek government’s approval to create a unit that will monitor projects. In some countries like the United Kingdom, there is such a unit in the office of the Prime Minister.” He also explained why his office opted for monetisation of vehicles for former presidents and former vice presidents pointing out that though the Appropriation Act clearly stipulates that vehicles should be bought for them, his office opted for the second option since it was a better choice. He said: “A decision was taken that instead of buying them vehicles, the money should be given to them so that they can buy themselves. The purchase of these vehicles is tenured. It is done after every four years. “The issue of the purchase of vehicles, I agree is an Appropriation Act. The issue of monetisation is done in the MDAs. It is also done in the National Assembly. Some of these former leaders may not even want to buy Prado Jeeps which the law says. Many of them may not like it. They may prefer saloon cars which maybe more comfortable for them. That was why we released a memo for them to do that.” Explaining the performance of the 2017 budget of his office, he said: “The office of SGF is the think-tank of the government. We coordinate activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Approved for capital was N2 billion. For personal cost, N2 billion. Overhead cost is N3 billion. “Performance for capital is N1.2 billion released as at end of December, 2017. It represents 50 per cent. We are hoping that the National Assembly will extend the lifespan of the budget so that we can handle other procurement processes. “My office had issues with poor releases when I came in. We are hoping that as we move forward, we will be properly and adequately funded so that we can carry out our duties effectively.” Responding, chairman of the committee, Senator Tijjani Kaura, promised that the leadership of the National Assembly would pass the budget as soon as possible. He told the SGF that lawmakers had to cut short their holidays so as to consider the 2018 budget. “The leadership is keen on passing the budget on time. That is why we cut our vacation short to be here to attend to budget defence. This is to tell you the importance of this issue. If you look at the 2017 budget, you will see that this committee did not tamper with the figure submitted to us. We did that because we know the enormous responsibility attached to that office,” he said. Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi from Kaduna State, complained about underfunding of the office of the SGF. He said as a critical unit of the Federal Government, the office should get more funds to run its operations. “I agree with the SGF on the need to fasten the budget process. This year is different from all the other two years. I agree with you. I will wish to note some observations. The issue of allocation under the Appropriation Act are three. During an oversight visit to the office of the SGF, we identified the issue of underfunding. Even after the provisions, the releases have been abysmal.
