Adeyemi Slams 2010 Budget …Knocks FG For Low Capital Vote

Senator Smart Adeyemi, representing Kogi Central Senatoral district has criticized the composition of the 2010 Budget presented to the National Assembly by President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Yar’Adua had proposed a budget of N4.076 trillion to the Senate on Tuesday through his Special Adviser On National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji.

But criticizing the budget, Senator Smart Adeyemi observed that the budget was imbalanced as it did not consider the needs of the common people.

“I find it difficult to accept the situation where recurrent expenditure is almost twice capital votes. A good budget must take into consideration the needs and aspiration of the people.

The question common man is asking is what happened to 2009 budget. The situation where only 30 per cent of the budget was implemented is not good enough. Today nobody can travel on Federal Roads. The roads are death traps. Billions have been voted, but what has happened to them. We cannot sit here and pass budget with no effect.

“The time has come for us to address some of these issues. We cannot keep quiet because we are members of PDP. The Senate leader said in his presentation that the ministers are not working. We can flush ministers out. “We are talking about economic growth, without power I think allocation to power should be increased,” Adeyemi said.

Also speaking on the budget Wednesday, Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin urged his colleagues to pass the bill as it is anchored on the commitment of the Yar’Adua administration to transform the socio-economic fortunes of Nigerians.