On Tuesday December 22, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari walked into a joint session of the National Assembly and presented the first annual budget proposal of his administration, ambitiously tagged: “The Budget of Change”.

After highlighting the economic challenges that confronted the country due to the fall in oil prices, the president vowed the budget would cut waste from government spending and its funds would only be used for public good.

As a reminder, a budget is a blueprint of the leader’s or party’s vision, a document which encapsulates their ideology and economic prudence.

President Muhammadu Buhari promised CHANGE in the days and months leading to the last presidential elections. For a country supposedly in comatose, stagnated in misery and miasma, CHANGE was the sing song. At a point in the journey to the presidential elections, Buhari, to and for Nigeria, became much more than the promise of CHANGE. He became the CHANGE that the majority of Nigerians were seeking.

His party and handlers kept propagating the CHANGE sermon repeatedly and consistently. Eventually, Nigerians believed it hook, line and sinker. In the face of historical facts, Buhari became a man of integrity! Buhari became a man of competence! Buhari became incorruptible!

After sixteen years of trial, Buhari became the President of Nigeria. Contesting for an office for sixteen years consecutively would have meant an adequate preparation and deep grasp of the issues involved. The advantage of ruling the same country once before the second coming was also expected to be helpful. He was expected to know exactly what to do. Buhari was supposed to be the man with a plan; the man with the solution; the savior to salvage and save; the messiah to mesmerize, untie the shackles and set Nigeria free on the path to freedom and realization of its potentials.

But on this second coming, the day he began to deny himself and what he promised Nigerians during his campaign, it was crystal clear that he had no plans for Nigeria. It was clear he had no solutions. It was clear that he is actually the same bunch of old politicians. At that time, there was no proof. But now he has provided a brand new proof to Nigerians and for the world to behold.

And that proof is his Budget for the Year 2016! Firstly, for an administration fighting seriously against corruption, the budget presented shows an irresponsible allocation of figures to different ministries and offices.

With unemployment increasing daily and the dwindling Nigerian economy due to a fall in oil prices, the 2016 budget reflects a pathetic misplacement of priorities.

Then the political actors early this year released a story on the budget going missing. Funny isn’t it…. Then suddenly the budget is found….. what a super story.

With Vice President Osinbajo and multi-million naira books, the cables, the lightnings and the billions, Buhari’s Guest House and the N400million face-lift. Is it the exotic cars and their outrageous maintenance or that Buhari wants N1.4billion houseboats for officers while the Northeast burns, then Fashola and his N140million naira for a single borehole, na wa o…… then the repetition galore with same item, different prices…… hilarious.

N1.75 billion for President Muhammadu Buhari’s feeding in 2016 is a direct attack on collective commonsense of Nigeria and a stark contrast to his promised Change.
Is it not fraud for Buhari to deceive Nigeria by publicly drinking N10 Milo sachet (tea) during the Presidential election campaign? Even if Buhari is feeding Sharks, Whales and Buffaloes in Aso Rock, N1.75billion is too much for one man, when millions of Nigerians are finding it difficult to feed even once a day. To imagine that Former President Goodluck Jonathan was almost roasted for budgeting N1billion in 2011 and reducing it even to N717.3m in 2013, N542m in 2014 and N530million in 2015, but Nigerians are silent on these reckless squandering by Dr Buhari.

N89.1 million for kitchen equipment? Those kitchen equipment must be made or ornamented with precious stones. Then Buhari wants N30.8 million to pay rent for Aso Rock? Haba fa. Biko who is the landlord and agent? N795 million for website update, N1.6 billion for construction of ministers duplex, N1.2 billion for office furniture and N531 million for attendance of “statutory meetings” for our dear minister, Fashola.

As if the bewildering allocations are not enough, after the return of the budget, figures are manipulated by who? But no answers. In their routine blame game tactics, the Minister for Health says the budget was doctored by “rats”.

From #BudgetOfChange to #BudgetOfYams and now #BudgetOfCorruption. And I ask, which way Nigeria?


http://watchdognews.net/budgetofcorruption/

Wonderful write up!!

Makurishi

When a stark illiterate suffering from cerebral palsy becomes a president, thats what u get and more in the same order to come..

By the time Baba/APC finish their tenure in 2019 even Zombies will wail! The error of 28/3/2015 will haunt us all!