2018 Budget of Deception.

PRESENTATION OF 2018 BUDGET: Buhari and his budgets of deception and failed promises.

By Joachim Okhai.


Introduction and pictures:
One of the simpliest definition of a budget is: an estimate of income and expenditure in a set period of time.

In Nigeria today budgets are captured on glossy papers. They are always beautiful beyond description in prints and presentations, but gory in implementation especially in assuaging and ameliorating the plight of the citizens.
There is no-gainsaying that Nigerians have witnessed years of humongous budgets figures, yet the lives of the average man is getting worse instead of better by the day. And the irony of it all is that previous budgets comes with glorifying names and agenda e.g. Budget of Diversification, Budget of Change et al.  Yet nothing gets diversified nor changed because the true names and agendas of the budgets should  be 'budgets of padding' and fulfillment of self aggrandisement of a selected few at the expense of many.

Budget performance:
Going by the definition of a budget, Nigerians cannot help but ask some salient questions vis-a-vis how does our budgets performs in a calendar year. If you as me how, I will say ask the National Bereau of Statistics. But I know NBS is gagged and instructed not to speak on budget performance if they choose not to lie and support the administration's propaganda agenda.
The next question is; can FG tell us exactly, in percentage (%) terms, how 2017 Budget performed, so we can measure our expectations of 2018 budget against it. This is so because it is often said that "result not measured is no result but a replica of deception."
While we are waiting for FG to brief us on 2017 Budget performance, I dare to posit that the budget performed below 20% going by the socio-economical realities of the Nigerian people today.

Therefor it is safe to say that to be economical with the truth is to say our national budgets are developing us, especially 2017 Appropriation Bill which was shrouded in 'padding secrecy', and didn't perform as we all can see. The evidence of that submission is the ravaging hunger and suffering in the land. The deplorable state of infrastructure.  The state of our health care which the suppose patriotic President cannot subject himself to. The poor state of education. The lack of development and total despondency and incapacitation and lack of jobs and opportunities in the land.
Infant and maternal moralities are one of the worst in the world. Endemic corruption and diseases is ravaging the populace, while a clueless President watches helplessly after out-sourcing his leadership authority to a cabal who uses deodorants on their allies, and fumigate their perceived enemies and critics with lethal insecticides.
I will be remix if I do not point out that the President we all supported and voted for in 2015 is the biggest packaged fraud in Nigeria recent history. He does not know nor understand the word 'CHANGE' neither does he care about the sufferings of the people.

I will also be remix if I do not lament the gross disappointment I and Nigerians have suffered for supporting President Buhari, who many now adjectively describes as the biggest packaged fraud in Nigeria history. He was packaged and re-branded to bring Nigerians 'change' for the better, but he is giving us 'change' for the worst. Nigerians have been politically and economically defrauded by Buhari's administration. And one of their tools with which they achieve their purpose is in budgeting.  The begging question before us is: why the haste in presenting 2018 budget to the joint house today? Is this to have apple time to take out the 'padding' in the budget to finance 2019 elections? Or is it to assiduously work the budget to perform this time around? But again it is often said that "one of the tragic mistakes of citizens of any nation is for them to think that their government is working in their best interest." Everything, to them, is opportunity for self aggrandisement.

It is needless to say that budgets in Nigeria are shrouded in secrecy; they aide corruption instead of fighting corruption, and institutionalise transparency and accountability that will aide the performance of same.

Focus of 2018 Budget:
If Buhari therefore wants to turn a new leaf, which I doubt he does, he will focus 2018 budget on Infrastructural development, good and qualitative free education - 26% as recommended by UNICEF, grow capital expenditure to 65% while recurrent expenditure takes 35%.
He should use this budget to restructure and package a leaner government, trim down Government Agencies,  scale down the number of Ministers instead of the proposed plans to increase same. He should increase minimum wage and drive at least the creation of 10million new jobs. Not the ficticious 7million new jobs the Dishonorable Minister of Idleness (Labour) claimed to have created.

In conclusion we must keep this government on its toes to deliver on its campaign promises and make our national budget in tandem with the direct developmental needs of the people.
2018 budget should be firmly footed, and tailored to address the infrastructural decades in the country, agriculture, ignorance  (education), and job creation.
We supported and voted Buhari to bring us positive 'Change' and that 'Change' he must deliver on by all means possible.

Joachim Okhai (J. O.).
Writer, Human and Political Rights Activist, Opinion moulder, Current Affairs Analyst,  and Serial Entrepreneur.