2016 BUDGET: Buhari Orders 2016 Appropriation Budget Uploaded Online

President Mohammadu Buhari

PRESIDENT Mohammadu Buhari who is presently on a short vacation has directed that the 2016 Appropriation Budget which is before the National Assembly for consideration be uploaded online on the website of the Budget Office aimed at making it available to everyone to be part of the process as against the former order it was taken as a sacred document meant for a particular class of citizens.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu who disclosed this on Sunday stated that the President in pursuit of transparency and the drive to eradicate corruption in the country, has graciously considered it necessary to make the nation’s budget public, hence directed that it be published on the website adding that the administration has no skeleton it its cupboard.

He also admitted that a democracy overwhelmingly blossoms where there are constructive oppositions, hence added that the government of President Mohammadu Buhari would throughout the period of this administration encourage constructive criticisms towards arriving at the best decisions that will be of immense benefit to the citizenry.  He clarified that the underlying principle for publicizing the budget is to allow the general public make their respective observation and contributions in the government as it si the norm across the developed nations of the globe.   

Emphatically, the presidential Spokesperson stated that the allegations that the Federal government in the 2016 Budget allocated more funds than on all federal government-owned teaching hospitals are well detailed, hence everyone could go the website of the Budget Office for verifications.    

“The Budget Office has affirmed that in terms of both capital and recurrent allocations, the draft has put far more in the 17 teaching hospitals than it did in the State House  Clinic..

“Having said this, we are not by any stretch of imagination suggesting that the draft budget is beyond comments of reproach. Nor do we wish to dwell on this simply to make a point. To do that will drive away good citizens from pointing out needed and ultimately defeating the change mantra of the administration.

“The budget is a Nigerian budget and citizens reserve the right to examine its content and provide their own perspectives.

“As the draft goes through the approval process, this and many other aspects will continue to generate interest, criticism, commendation and sometimes condemnation in discussions in the parliament, the media and the court of public opinion.

“We believe that the process of “change” will be affected by and stands to gain from these debates especially where there is good faith on all sides.

“Government has no reason whatsoever to mislead the citizens on the budget and on all other matters for whatever reason,” Garba stated.