The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FSP

  • Pointless policies

    Professor Juliana Taiwo Makinde provided information worth thinking about when she delivered the 307th Inaugural Lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on September 12. She is “the first female Professor of Public Administration in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and also the first female Professor to give an Inaugural Lecture in the Department of Public Administration, OAU, Ile-Ife.” She focused on “Policy Somersaults, Poverty of Policy Implementation and Corruption: Obstacles to Development in Nigeria.”

    She showed “discontinuity in government policies as evidenced in the way First Ladies embarked on new programmes as soon as they come on board.” Her list: “The Better Life Programme” (BLP) was put in place in 1987 by the late Mrs. Mariam Babangida when her husband General Ibrahim Babangida was the Military President of Nigeria.  After her exit, the “Family Support Programme” (FSP) came into existence in 1994 after General Sani Abacha became the Head of State in November 1993.  After Mariam Abacha came Mrs. Fati Abubakar who initiated her own programme and suspended that of Mrs. Abacha.  Her own programme was named “Women’s Right Advancement and Protection Alternative” (WRAPA).  With the exit of Mrs. Abubakar, WRAPA metamorphosed into “Child Care Trust” (CCT) under the late Mrs. Stella Obasanjo.   The pet project of the wife of the successor of Obasanjo – Turai Yar’Adua was “Women and Youth Empowerment Foundation.” Dame Patience Jonathan also had her own pet project which she named “Women For Change Initiative” while the present First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has her own project called “Project Future Assured” (PFA).” She observed that the list “reflects discontinuity of programmes in Nigeria…Each First Lady, rather than continue with the predecessor’s programme, preferred to embark on a new one.”

    Makinde also listed “some somersaulted policies”: “They include policy on poverty alleviation, and policy on education.  Starting with policy on poverty alleviation, it is on record that since independence, many programmes, which include Operation Feed the Nation (OFN: 1979), the National Directorate of Employment (NDE: 1986), the Better Life Programme (BLP: 1987), People’s Bank (1989), Community Bank (1990), and the National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP 2001), had been established by various governments at one time or the other to tackle the problem of poverty and food insecurity.” Her conclusion: “In spite of all the above-mentioned programmes, poverty is still very visible among Nigerians.”

    This brings us to the pointlessness of policies that never get to the point. Makinde said: “Various studies have shown that most government policies have failed, at the implementation stage, to achieve the desired results.” Policy making without successful policy implementation amounts to daydreaming.

     

  • Ipaja public library needs attention

    Ipaja public library needs attention

    SIR: I wish to call the attention of the concerned authorities to the condition of the Ipaja Public Library- a branch of Lagos State Library board located at B24 Pako Bus Stop Abesan Estate Ipaja, Lagos.

    Though the library was built in a noise-free area and it is well ventilated, flood is trying to scare away the users and also try to destroy the library building.

    The flood which is usually caused by the poor drainage system in the street where the library is located used to lock both library users and the staff inside anytime it rains.

    The first time the rain met me in the library was on Thursday, October 10 2013. By the time the rain stopped and I came out to leave, I met a ‘pool of river’ in the front of the library (which is about 30-40 feet to the main road). I asked the security man how people pass in that kind of situation and he told me that I have to roll up my trousers and remove my shoe and enter the ‘river’. Apart from the germs and rubbles in that flood, I was afraid there might be dangerous creatures in that flood, but since there was no other escape route, I didn’t have option than to do as the security man advised.

    I hereby call on the authorities at the Lagos State Library Board, Ikeja to come to the aid of the library before this year rainy season sets in to prevent floods from destroying the entire library building.

    For the records, the library was built by Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development as a Family Support Programme (FSP) under the military government of Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa and it was commissioned on May 19, 1999 by the then First Lady, Munira Marwa. Since the library was commissioned, I don’t think there has been any major renovation to maintain or upgrade the level of the library and its facilities.

    I plead with Governor of Raji Fashola and the chairman of Alimosho Local Government to renovate and upgrade the facilities at the library. Also, the drainage system in the street where the library is located should be reconstructed and raised to prevent the overflow of erosion that used to cause flood inside the library.

    As regard the library, the shelves are few and the few books there are outdated. New books should be purchased to encourage the students and other library users to patronize it.

    • John Tosin Ajiboye,

    Lagos.

  • Why budget presentation was shifted

    Why budget presentation was shifted

    President Goodluck Jonathan will no longer present today the 2014 Appropriation Bill – no thanks to differences between the lawmakers and the Presidency.

    The issues are being discussed for their resolution ahead of next Tuesday’s presentation of the proposal before a joint sitting of the National Assembly by the President.

    Though no reason was given for the sudden postponement, our correspondents gathered that part of the reasons is the non approval of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) by the House of Representatives.

    A senator noted that there was “no way Mr. President will present the 2014 Appropriation Bill when the House of Representatives is yet to pass the MTEF and the FSP”.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said: “I have just been told. I don’t really know the reason, but since both sides have agreed, it must be for good reason.”

    Another reason for the postponement, it was gathered, was the argument of lawmakers that the Executive failed woefully in the implementation of the 2013 budget, which they put at below 40 per cent.

    The House of Representatives is also unhappy that the Presidency snubbed its recommendation that the Director- General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms Arunma Oteh, should be removed.

    These were two of the caveats in the 2013 budget, which, according to representatives, President Jonathan had failed to honour.

    The House is also yet to debate the MTEF and take a position on the benchmark for oil price, among other parameters.

    The planned protest to disrupt the presentation of the budget today by the National Assembly chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) was also partially responsible for the shift.

    The workers were planning to disrupt the budget presentation to drive home their grievances over the inclusion of some questionable employees in the Staff Welfare Committee by the NASS management.

    Though the protest was called off yesterday, the association’s spokesman, who signed the protest notice, Odo Chris, said a congress would be convened shortly to chart the way forward, adding that the shelving of the protest was due to attempts by the management to address the “raging staff welfare issue”.

    The Nation learnt that there were two meetings last weekend on the budget. One was between Senators and House members. The other was with the Presidency.

    At the meeting between leaders of the two chambers, efforts were said to have been made to arrive at a common position on what should be the oil price benchmark.

    While the Senate adopted $76.5 during its deliberation on Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) presented to the National Assembly by the President, the preponderance of opinion from members of the House (which is yet to deliberate on the MTEF) was that the benchmark should be $80 per barrel.

    To this end, the National Assembly leaders were said to have told the President to put his house in order before bringing the budget before the National Assembly.

    “Though a new date – Tuesday – has been set, other factors may still push the date out of contention, if no solid agreement is reached between the National Assembly and the Executive as the House gets set to debate the MTEF this week,” a source said.

    Ali Madaki (PDP, Kano) who last Thursday moved a motion to stop the President from making the presentation of the budget today, said the latest development had vindicated his position.

    The lawmaker said adherence to the constitution by Nigerians on the street and those in authority was the motive behind his opposition to today’s planned presentation.

    According to him, the basic prerequisites of presenting the budget were not met and it is a concern that should be addressed.

    “Has the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) been approved by the House? Has the President complied with the Appropriation Act? Though not a constitutional matter, but do we have a National Assembly Presidential Liaison Officer that is supposed to transmit Mr President’s correspondences to us? No.

    “If we act with emotion rather than in consonance with the provisions of the constitution, the effort can end up in futility because somebody can wake up one day and decide to challenge our action.

    “I raised an objection that the presentation could not hold yet because an agreement between the House leadership and the members on the eve of the passage of the 2013 budget was breached.

    “For instance, as contained in the 2013 Appropriation Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has zero allocation but the DG, Aruma Oteh, has been making expenditure in contravention of the Act. As we speak, Oteh is still the DG and spending money without appropriation.

    “That is another area of the breach of the Act by the Executive. So, it is not a personal matter but due diligence.”

    Saying that lawmakers should not be seen as condoning budget presentation as an annual ritual that stops after its dramatic presentation, Madaki urged his colleagues to remember that “any budget passed by the National Assembly becomes an Act that must be respected with all seriousness”.

  • Jonathan submits 2014-2016 MTEF, FSP to Senate

    Jonathan submits 2014-2016 MTEF, FSP to Senate

    PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday submitted the 2014-2016 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) to the Senate for consideration and approval.

    The MTEF/FSP was read by Senate President, David Mark.

    Jonathan in the letter to the Senate noted that the submission of the MTEF and FSP was in line with the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

    He added that the development towards the preparation of the 2014 budget culminated in the 2014-2016 MTEF and FSP.

    Jonathan said: “Prepared against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, the 2014-2016 MTEF and FSP reflect the reality of our circumstance; and we will ensure that planned spending is set at prudent and sustainable levels consistent with Government’s overall medium-term developmental objectives.”

    He lauded the Senate for the enduring partnership between the legislative and executive arms of government “in our collective efforts to transform the economy of our dear country.”

  • Jonathan presents 2013 budget today

    Jonathan presents 2013 budget today

    PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is to present the 2013 budget to the joint session of the National Assembly today. This is coming six days after the initial scheduled date of October 4.

    The shift in date was agreed upon to allow the House of Representatives analyse the 2013-2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) in order to take a proper position on the projections and assumptions on which the 2013 budget was based.

    The presentation, which is slated for 10am, is coming on the heels of the simmering friction between the House and the Executive over the slow implementation of the 2012 budget.

    Also, the proposed $75 benchmark per barrel of crude in the 2013 budget, it is argued, would create a further ground for disagreement, as the House has underlined its resolve to jerk the figure by $5, raising the new benchmark for the 2013 appropriation to $80.

    The House agreed to admit the President into the Green Chamber via a joint sitting with the Senate, sequel to a motion by the House Leader, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, yesterday.

    On the eve of the budget presentation, the House yesterday admitted, debated and adopted the report of the Hon. Jubrin Abdulmumin Joint Committee on Finance, Legislative Budget & Research, National Planning & Economic Development, and Aids, Loans and Debt Management on the 2013-2015 MTEF and FSP.

    The Committee of Whole House adopted the recommendations of the report of the joint committee, wholesale.

    In the report, the lawmakers accused the Executive of overstating its expenditure profile and understating its revenue projection in an attempt to hoodwink the National Assembly.

    “It is observed that Non- debt recurrent expenditure of N2,411.486 trillion for 2013 is overstated by N166.695 billion in 2013 and N146.696 billion in each of 2014 and 2015. The projected capital spending of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is also overstated by N20.0 billion in 2013, 2014 and 2015,” the adopted document alleged.

    The joint committee’s report covered most of the assumptions on which the President’s 2013-2015 MTEF and FSP is based, signalling that a re-enactment of the imbroglio that characterised the implementation of the 2012 budget may snowball into the 2013 budget as well.

    The lawmakers took on the Executive in the areas of debt profile/debt sustainability, budget deficit financing, projected revenue/aggregate expenditure (especially non-oil revenue projections) benchmark, daily production of crude oil and the Excess Crude Account

    The report observed that “Nigeria total external debt stock rose from an average of $3.639 billion in 2006-2008 to $6.0 billion in June 2012. Of this, the federal government’s share was $3.8 billion (68.3 percent) while the 36 states and FCT accounted for the balance of $2.2 billion (36.7 percent). Similarly, domestic debt for the same period stood at N6.15 trillion bringing the total debt to N7.11 trillion, which is 17 percent of GDP.

    “The increasing trend in total debt is increasingly becoming worrisome as it imposes a heavy burden on the government. This is against government’s position that the debt burden is sustainable, being below the international threshold of 40percent of GDP.”

    The Chairman of the joint committee Jubrin Abdulmumin while briefing the House at the committee of whole accused the Executive of lack of transparency in the preparation of the document, adding that the intent of those that prepared the document was meant to deceive the National Assembly.

    He said the argument of the Executive that an increase in benchmark is detrimental to the economy of the country and will cause inflation as well as put pressure on the exchange rate does not hold water.

    According to the committee’s report “many submissions from various government agencies were at variance with estimates in the 2013-2015 MTEF and FSP implying that the process of,preparation may not have been all inclusive as it ought to be in line with Section 13 (2 b) of the FRA 2007.’

    Abdulmumin said: “The MTEF is not a document of all inclusive consultation, a few people in the Ministry of Finance, the office of the DG Budget and a few personalities sat down and wrote the MTEF.”

    He further stated: “One of the biggest issues in the daily production of oil. For all the decades that we’ve been producing oil, no one knows the amount of our daily production. We asked the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he said he doesn’t know, the Mininstrymof a finance does not know and the NNPC does not know.

    “In this era of technological development, we don’t know the volume of oil we produce, what kind of country are we running?’

    The lawmaker told his colleagues that contrary to the usual impression given by the executive that oil accounts for 90 per cent of the nation’s income, “oil accounts for 68 per cent and non oil accounts for 32 per cent of our income. By 2015, non oil will be accounting for 50 per cent.”

    He said it was unacceptable that people will be using arguments of Foreign analyst who have no idea of the realities in the country to project the nation’s budget.

    “It is when some people claim a monopoly of of knowledge that we will have problems. If we take the assumptions in the MTEF presented by the President the way it is, we will continue to have problems. But if we want a different result from what obtained in 2011 and this year, we need to do things differently.

    “Why are they against an increase in the benchmark. They painted a gloomy picture in the MTEF. The MTEF took it to the extreme. But they will not tell you there is volatility in the Middle East and Sudan and that the American economy is improving and this drive up oil prices. It does not hold water for them to say there is crisis in the Euro zone”, he said.

     

    Some of the key recommendations

    • The revenue target of the Nigeria Customs Service should be increased to N1, 018 trillion, N1,155.700 trillion and N1,388.345 trillion in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

    • Accruals for the sharing of the Stabilisation Fund Account (ECA) should be estimated, as the Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) did not project the medium Term accruals.

    • The sustenance of peace in the Niger Delta should be given priority, attention and prominence, in order to guarantee uninterrupted production of crude oil

    • Government should demonstrate fiscal discipline by limiting spending to the level of its resources. The proposed deficit of N1, 037.19 trillion should be further reduced to N663.328 billion by using the earnings resulting from the increase in the crude oil benchmark, privatisation proceeds and Nigeria Customs Service. This should reduce domestic borrowing from the proposed N727.19 billion to N243.33 billion.