Budget implementation, failed protests and MIA President - John Okiyi Kalu
Posted by Factnews | 7 years ago | 2,497 times
In 2016 President Buhari and APC signed a budget of N6.06t.Sources at the National Assembly confirmed that only 53% of the 2016 budget was implemented. That means only N3.21.
If you look at the Jonathan budgets, which averaged N4.9t per annum, you will observe that implementation was around 70% or N3.4t.
What beats me is why we have a 2017 budget proposal of N7.3t at a time our economy is actually shrinking with oil production impacted heavily.
Does it really make sense to have a budget of more than N4t? What exactly is the secret behind signing budgets you know will not be fully implemented?
Is our economy able to accommodate more than N4t annual budget?.....................................................As expected, today's protests for and against Buhari failed. Based on Tv footages I have seen, I doubt that any of the protesting groups in Lagos or Abuja mustered more than 500-1000 protesters.
That speaks to how formidable IPOB guys obviously are. I personally witnessed a protest where they mobilized more than an estimated 400,000 protesters at one location only.
If you ask me, the federal government should look into whatever is the grievance of the IPOB guys and pacify them before any other issue.
Today's protests failed because the protesters couldn't coalesce around one key issue affecting Nigerians. If they had gone out, for instance, to demand that the price of kerosene be brought down they would have had success.
That was why I asked what their success markers were.
Sadly, they have made future protests less attractive with their terribly poor organization and focus. Would have been much better to allow a spontaneous protest from the people than to mobilize a failed protest.
As per the pro-Buhari protesters I have nothing to say. They have the right to protest, even if without a reason. May be we have reached the point of professional protesters like America.
Incidentally I was more interested in the reported protest in UK because that one made more sense to me. As reported, the protesters simply demanded to see their president for 5 minutes as proof of life and in consideration of the fact that his media aide said he was good but just waiting for laboratory tests results.
I consider that protest an opportunity for the presidency to end the speculation on the president's health. Truth be told, the president has the right to be ill and also the right to get medical help. But in doing so he must recognize that he carries and symbolizes the hopes and aspirations of over 170m Nigerians.
When the President is ill, the people will naturally worry because "Acting" is not same as "Actual". The actual drives national leadership much more than the acting. Even murderous Fulani herdsmen know that and have been largely quiet since actual left Nigeria for acting.
My simple advice to the managers of our president is to allow him to appear in public for just 5 minutes. That will enable our president take as much time as necessary to heal and recover fully for the task of leading the biggest nation in Africa. Even if he can't speak, as rumored, he should just wave at the protesters and return to his temporary residence.
There is no law in this country that says our President cannot take as much as 6 months to get medical help, if necessary. And it appears to me that the President's handlers do not know that his wife is quite credible across our political divide. She should speak on her husband's health and people will listen more than putting confirmed liars like Femi and Muhammed before the camera.
Madam Aisha does not look like someone who will lie about her husband's health, to most Nigerians. She is an asset at this trying time.
As always, managers of government information must always tell the people the truth and not spin issues around the president's health. He is human and he's old. Those who voted for him knew both facts before going to the polling booth in 2015.
The President is not to be blamed for the electoral mistake of the majority of Nigerians. Just the truth, is what matters.
JOK
Readers Comments
comment(s)
No comments yet. Be the first to post comment.
