The South African Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has written to the National Assembly expressing its worries about the 2016 budget.
Read part of the letter below:
OUR REF: 2016/APCSA/001
EXPUNGING FRIVOLOUS EXPENDITURE PROVISIONS FROM THE 2016 APPROPRIATION BILL
1. We appreciate the far and wide reaching policy direction of the executive arm of government in the appropriation of meaningful resources to critical sectors of the economy.
2. We acknowledge the dwindling revenue from all sources and recognize that the deficit gap needs augmentation through regulated borrowing.
3. We admire the ambitiousness of the budget in prioritizing the needs of the people in infrastructure, security, education, agriculture, health and solid mineral development.
4. We recognize that the funding of the budget would be augmented by borrowing from local and international sources and that local and foreign debt have been adequately provided for.
5. We also note that the projected recurrent expenditure in the budget is set at N 2,648,600,000.00.
6 We grudgingly appreciate the slight increment in capital expenditure.
7. We are equally aware that military pensions have been set at N 74, 529,949; we however regrettably note that past head of government both military and civilian have been availed the sum of N 2.3 billion as entitlements.
8. We consider these entitlements provision very imprudent considering that almost all the military Head of States are entitled to military pensions. They should not enjoy double pensions especially knowing that they took political power illegitimately.
9. We also pick hole in the continuous allocation of bogus budget to the office of the National Security Adviser. In the 2016 budget, the sum of N 57, 730,068,052 was earmarked as recurrent expenditure while N 32, 620, 000, 000.00 was earmarked for capital expenditure. We are indeed alarmed that an office that is supposed to serve in an advisory capacity has become a separate arm of the executive with huge budgetary allocation.
10. While we know there is Defense Military Intelligence, NIA and DSS which all falls under the Defense budget; we are surprised that despite the ongoing probe into the activities of the NSA office, humongous allocation is still being accorded the office. We find it absurd to continue to shroud the activities of this office in secrecy.
11. We are also alarmed that the executive and legislature arm are disposed to putting additional pressure on the Naira with their intention to buys cars, vehicles abroad. We see the same spending pattern and figures for items that are either still functioning or unnecessary by MDA’s and the Presidency.
12. We regret to note that the 2016 census due date was not highlighted in the budget and Diaspora Nigerians input did not feature in the budget.
“Against these background, we in the All Progressives Congress South Africa Chapter wishes to convey our reservation to the facts highlighted above.”
“We desire your offices to take appropriate action in militating against these blatant, unscrupulous allocation of lean resources and unexplained side tracking of a very important constituency and stakeholders (Diasporans) in the administration of our society.”
Thank you.
For All Progressives Congress South Africa Chapter:
Signed
Hon Festus Ogbeide- Chairman
Hon Taye Abe- Vice Chairman
Hon Ahmed Olusegun Badmus- Public Relations Officer
Hon Jonathan Oyoh- Secretary
