From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives, yesterday, commenced debate on the general principles of the 2024 Appropriation Bill presented to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, with a pledge that only ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that made judicious use of their allocations in 2023 would receive funds.
According to the deputy spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, the development is in line with the legislative agenda of the 10th House of Representatives.
The N27,503,404,073,861 Appropriation Bill consists of N1,376,352,359,690 statutory transfer, N8,490,960,606,831 for debt servicing; N9,918,248,229, 600 for recurrent (non debt) expenditure; while N7,717,842,877,740 only is for contribution to the development fund for capital expenditure.
At the commencement of debate, lawmakers, in their various contributions, applauded President Tinubu for prioritising security. According to them, unless the security challenge in the country is addressed, not much can be achieved in the various sectors of the economy.
The House leader, Julius Ihonbvere, appealed to lawmakers to support the 2024 budget, stating that it drew attention to the Renewed Agenda of the President Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“The budget drew our attention to the renewed hope agenda so that we have an understanding of where the president was coming from and where he intended to take Nigeria.It focused on fiscal challenges in the economy, the need to tackle insecurity and expand the economic space. Special attention was given to education, which particularly made me very happy.
“You will see that defence/security is number one. I have said severally on this floor that I cannot go to my constituency because of the Benin-Auchi Road. There is no other way to get there because of security issues. I am sure we have moved several motions on insecurity. That it is taking almost 12 per cent of the budget is not an accident.
“I believe when security is properly tackled in this country, among other things, there will be an increase in the production of goods and services. Many business today close by 6pm because they are afraid they will be raided.
“Many farmers do not go to their farms because of bandits, kidnappers and assassins. Transporters have reduced their fleets, to just safe area, similarly, because of insecurity. Even parents have withdrawn their kids from certain schools and paying double the fees in certain areas where they consider to be safe.
“The focus of this budget on security as a prime area is a very positive move, for which we must give support to the budget.”
Similarly, Ahmed Jaha said by voting substantial amount to capital projects, Tinubu has shown his commitment to development of the country. Nevertheless, the lawmaker said there was need for the parliament to adequately oversight the implementation of the 2024 budget so that the Appropriation Bill can achieve its objectives.
Minority Whip, Ali Isa, admonished the Federal Government to always be realistic in its budget proposals. “Let us propose what’s we can implement.”
Meanwhile, The House has said the days of making huge budgetary allocations to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) without commensurate results were over.
Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Aderemi Oseni, who stated this, at a meeting with management of the agency, said the parliament would insist on value for money. He said the House would not hesitate to impose sanction on the agency for any infraction.
He noted that though FERMA was established to maintain federal roads, its image in the eyes of the public is one of inefficiency and corruption. However, he stated that the committee would ensure the agency live up to its responsibility.
“The image of FERMA in the eyes of the public is one of inefficiency, corruption, and ineptitude. This is a reality we cannot ignore and thus a perception that must be changed, and it is our duty as representatives of the people to take decisive actions to address this issue and ensure that FERMA becomes a beacon of hope for Nigerians.
“Let me state unequivocally that the 10th National Assembly will not accept business as usual in FERMA. The days of huge budgetary allocations with little or no impact on road maintenance are over. We are here to ensure every naira spent by FERMA delivers tangible results for the Nigerian people.
“As supervisory committee, it is our solemn duty to ensure FERMA operates at the highest standard, achieves tangible results, and serves the Nigerian people effectively. We will demand performance, value for money, accountability, transparency, and professionalism from FERMA, and this House committee will not hesitate to utilise the full instruments of the law to sanction any misdeeds that come to our attention.”
Oseni promised that as part of the committee’s legislative agenda, it would deploy legislative instruments “and adherence to the best global practices to revitalise, reposition, reengineer, and rebirth FERMA, ushering in a new era of improved road maintenance and efficiency for Nigerians.”