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Senators Slam FG’s 2018 Budget – Say Projections Unrealistic

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Senators yesterday rejected the projections upon which the 2018 budget is based, declaring the projections as unrealistic.
The lawmakers, who commenced the debate on the general principle of the budget said that the implementation of the 2017 budget left so much to be desired.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) who opened the floor of the debate caused an uproar when he declared that the 2018 budget was ‘fictitious, adding that the budget is not consolidating on the 2017 budget.
The Senator said that the N8.612 trillion 2018 budget does not consolidate on the 2017 and 2016 budgets as claimed by President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2018 budget presentation.
The lawmakers also decried what they called the abysmal implementation of the N1.2 trillion capital component of the 2017 budget. The Senators also faulted the parameters contained in the 2018 budget especially the oil benchmark of $45 per barrel, adding that it should be jerked up to about $50. Senator Abaribe drew the ire of some senators, especially Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan who stated that the use of the word ‘fictitious’ was unparliamentary.
The Abia Senator then agreed to withdraw the contentious word but replaced the same with the word ‘imaginary’ even as he maintained that the implementation of the budget was very low.
He said: “I am just quoting the Senate Leader from his speech, which said the 2018 budget was designed to consolidate on the achievements of the 2016 and 2017 budgets. What was done in 2017 when less than 15 per cent of that budget was released? Nothing was done and that was why I called it (2018 budget proposal) fictitious. I am very sorry if that is the word he is bothered about. I will withdraw the word ‘fictitious’ and use ‘totally imaginary.” According to Abaribe, the receivables (revenue) in the budget were being exaggerated, adding that the revenues were only one-tenth of the figures being claimed by the government. He stated that the budget was being predicated on parameters that have been destroyed by facts available.
Senator Ben Murray Bruce (PDP Bayelsa East) in his own contribution said that the 2018 budget proposal is a “budget of active imagination,” as according to him, the budget is already committing 25 percent to debt servicing.
He said: “We have to decide what the exchange rate really is. Is it N305 (to US$1) or N365?” Murray Bruce stated that the cost of governance in Nigeria remains very high, adding that agencies that have outlived their usefulness still remain on government’s payroll.
He said: “FRCN (Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria) has 8000 workers. Sell it to the staff. Who listens to the Voice of Nigeria (VoN)?” He said that while it was commendable that the Ministry of Transport and Chinese Firms were working on the multi-billion dollar rail projects, the Senate should take deep looks at the intricate details.
“We have steel, Ajaokuta is there. Why don’t we use that facility and create jobs through that,” he said.
Senator George Akume, who also contributed said that the oil benchmark should be increased to $50 because crude oil price has increased to between 58-$62 per barrel.
Deputy Senate Whip, Senator Francis Alimekhena (APC Edo North) told the Senate that the 2016 and 2017 budgets were bloated, adding that they lacked impact on the people.
He stated that it was unrealistic to assume that about N2 trillion would be realised from oil revenue and N4 trillion from non-oil revenue.
He also supported the increase of the budget benchmark to $50 while output is maintained at 2million barrels per day as in the 2017 budget.
The senator said: “There is no need to raise the hope of Nigerians and execution is zero. Let’s cut our coat according to our cloth. If the budget size is N3 trillion and execution is N3 trillion (100 percent), we will be happier than to say it is N8 trillion and execution is just N2 trillion.”
Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC Lagos East) who also contributed said that only the sum of N450 billion has so far been released in the capital votes of 2017 budget.
He stated that the key issue with the 2016 and 2017 budgets was the question of funding which he said made the budgets less impactful.
He said: “A budget can be big and bloated, but when you do not have enough funds for capital projects which are more impactful, then the budget is going nowhere.” The senator cited the example of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), which he said only N800 million has so far been released out of its 2017 appropriation of N25 billion.
Ashafa said: “What impact would that make on roads,” adding that only N500 million has so far been released out of the N11 billion budget of the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC).
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the sitting, said that there is an urgent need to reconsider the budget deficit projections.
He said: “I thank everyone for their contributions, I commend my colleagues for keeping their language clean and speaking their mind on the 2018 budget debate. “Some research agencies are not researching anything and are still being funded, we need to point them out so we don’t spend money on them.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has announced that it will suspend plenary from tomorrow.
This is to allow members proceed on oversight assessment of the 2017 budget and hold defence sessions for the 2018 budget.
The suspension will last for three weeks.
The Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr. Yussuff Lasun, who presided over proceedings, yesterday, made the announcement as debate on the budget began at the floor of the House, yesterday.

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Group Doles out N13m To Market Women In Isiama 

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The peaceful Town of Isiama in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State was at the weekend agog with activities following the donation of over N13million to market women by Engr. Justus Ngerebara in partnership with Fast Track Development Initiatives, a non-governmental organization, as part of its first phase empowerment programme.
According to Justus Ngerebara, who is also the Executive Director of the organization, the women, numbering 108, will receive various sums based on their business proposal.
He stated that the organization will carry out an annual review of the performances of the beneficiaries, with a view to rewarding those who put the money into good use.
According to him, the initiative was a collaborative effort between himself and his wife, Dr. Unyime Ngerebara, in partnership with Fast Track Development Initiative (FDI), an organization committed to youth capacity building and community development.
He said the family believe deeply in the transformative power of women’s empowerment as a catalyst for economic growth, especially in rural communities.
“As the saying goes, when you empower a woman, you empower a community. This truth resonate strongly with us, knowing that empowered women uplift households and inspire generational change”, he stated.
Ngerebara described the programme as the beginning of more things to come and urged the beneficiaries to view the gesture “as a reflection of our deep love for the community and our commitment to easing the burdens of economic hardship.
“We encourage you to invest wisely, channel these resources into your business not frivolities.
“We will continue to follow up with each participant to monitor progress and Offer guidance.
“It is our goal to see thriving business, creative solutions to households hunger and a ripple effect of prosperity through Isiama.
“We also call on the men to stand beside their spouses, offering support and encouragement to ensure these resources are maximized for growth”, he said.
In an interview, Ngerebara said the second phase of the empowerment programme will start very soon, stressing that since inception the organization has done so much for the community.
He listed some of the programmes carried out by the group in the community to include the installation of solar powered lights, and solar powered water.
While declaring the event open, a former coymmissioner for Works in Rivers State, Engr. Sampson Ngerebara, described the event as the first of its kind in the community.
Engr. Ngerebara said the programme will go a long way to improve the conditions of not only the beneficiaries, but also the entire Isiama Community.
He also charged them against wasting the resources on frivolities, adding that their success will attract more of such empowerment programme to Isiama community
Giving a brief talk on women empowerment, a lecturer at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Dr. Awajimogobo Felix MacLean, warned the beneficiaries to justify the effort of the donor by avoiding wastages.
Dr. MacLean also urged them to be consistent in their line of business as well as avoid unnecessary competition.
She also stressed the need for them to network among themselves, while working out ways of helping the community to develop.
Guest of Honour at the occasion, Professor Uriah Oboada Alafonye, said Engr Justus Ngerebara, the initiator of the programme, has set a standard for present and future generations of leaders both in the community and the rest of Andoni to follow.
Prof Alafonye who is of the department of Arts Education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, also appealed to the beneficiaries to seize the opportunity provided by the programme to reduce poverty in the community.
Speaking, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Hebron Mercy Fyneface, a crayfish seller and an interior designer, said it was the first time she was receiving such gesture from any organization or government.
She thanked Engr Justus Ngerebara for remembering the women of Isiama and urged others to emulate him.
By: John Bibor
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Fubara’s Return Excites NCSU … As Hope Rises For Civil Servants 

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The umbrella body of civil servants in Rivers State, the Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has expressed delight over the lifting of emergency rule in the State and the return to office of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof Ngozi Nma Odu and members of the State House of Assembly, saying, the development portends good omen for workers, the people and the State.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who gave the indication in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the return of the Governor to office portends good omen and better days for civil servants in particular, stressing that the union heartily welcomes the Governor back to office, to resume his good works in the State, after six months of the emergency rule, as well as his deputy and members of the House of Assembly.
He noted that civil servants in the State are not only elated over the development but are also full of hope that the Governor would start from where he stopped in attending to their welfare needs.
He contended that the political crisis that recently engulfed the State and the six-month emergency rule had for over one year pulled the State backwards, but expressed delight that a permanent solution has been found to stem further political upheavals in the State, and thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for making this possible; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and leader of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike; Governor Fubara; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule; members of the House; and other stakeholders for agreeing to amicably resolve all contending issues.
The labour leader said this is the right time for all political gladiators in the State to bury the hatchet, work together and embrace peace and genuine reconciliation in the overall interest of the State.
He described as too hasty the resolution of the House, mandating the Governor to present a supplementary budget to it, and pleaded with members of the House to be calm, to tread with caution, and harmoniously work with the Governor.
He said the return of democratic governance in the State would fast-track progress and development in the State, and enjoined the people of the State, particularly civil servants to continue to give their support and cooperation to the Fubara administration.
Osumah expressed optimism that Governor Fubara would give prompt attention to challenges facing civil servants in the State, being a former civil servant himself, stressing that the workers truly have hope, now that the Governor has returned to office, and knowing the kind of Governor he is.
According to him, he is going to look into the controversial and contentious contributory pension scheme; rehabilitation of the State Secretariat Complex; recruitment into the state civil service; extension of service and retirement years for civil servants; provision of vehicles to industrial unions; as well as provision of befitting staff quarters for civil servants; among others.
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NDDC Organizes ADR Capacity Building for Staff

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The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has organized a one-day sensitization program for its personnel on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) approaches to promote workplace compliance on transparency and due process.
The workshop, themed “Promoting Transparency and Due Process in the Workplace using ADR Approaches in Building a Culture of Accountability and Integrity,” aimed to equip staff with the skills to resolve disputes effectively.
Declaring the event open on thursday in port Harcourt,The NDDC Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, emphasized the importance of using ADR mechanisms to resolve conflicts in the workplace.
Dr. Ogbuku  represented by his chief of staff,Rev Omeya Oworibo,noted that ADR approaches can encourage a culture of honesty, fairness, transparency, trust, and reduce conflicts among staff, ultimately promoting efficiency and productivity.
He averred that those disputes and quarrels if not proper resolved can derail the vision and objectives of the commission to the people, noting that the commission must as a team and unity as service provider in order to render a profitable service delivery to the people.
 “ADR approach will encourage culture of honesty,fairness, transparency ,trust  and reduce back bitting and the workforce, noting that such tendency would in turns promote efficiency and increase results in workplace.
 when integrity and honesty becomes the operandi of an organisation and employees begins to trust that their matters will be handled with fairness it will breed team work and increase in productivity.”he stated
He commended the department of DCR for organising the workshop and urged the participants to make good use of the opportunity and imbibe the culture of tolerance, integrity and teamwork in workplace.
Also speaking,the NDDC acting director of DCR ,Mr Godwin Ayewumi Ogedegbe noted that the theme of the captures the core of what the commission seeks to achieve a workplace where every action is expected to be guided by openness, fairness, and a steadfastness commitment to due process, where conflicts are not merely resolved, but prevented through structured,principled processes , and where accountability and integrity are not aspirational ideals but every day practice.
In his  keynote presentation on the theme “workplace Ethics and alternative Dispute Resolution Correlation,
Prof. Sylvester Odion Akhaine of the Department of Political Science, University of Lagos, delivered a keynote presentation on “Workplace Ethics and Alternative Dispute Resolution Correlation.” He stressed the importance of due process, transparency, integrity, and accountability in the workplace, noting that these values are essential for productivity and organizational goals.
The workshop aimed to promote a culture of accountability and integrity in the NDDC workplace. By equipping staff with ADR skills and promoting transparency and due process, the commission can build a more efficient and productive work environment.
By: Akujobi Amadi
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