2018 Budget: NANS commends Buhari, calls for comprehensive implementation

Comr. Taiwo Bamigbade,

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the 2018 appropriation bill into law on Wednesday 20 June albeit belated due to self-centeredness of some public officeholders.

In a statement to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday which was signed by NANS Senate President, Comr. Taiwo Bamigbade, the association recalled in utter dismay that the appropriation bill was presented early enough to the National Assembly precisely on 7 November, 2017 but abandoned at the detriment of the masses who bear the negative effects until now, and sadly after jerking it up from N8.6trillion presented by President Buhari to N9.12trillion by the lawmakers who craftily increased their sundry allocations despite public outcry over outrageous allowances.

The students body also noted that President Buhari helplessly had to bow to pressure to sign the budget into law irrespective of the abnormalities on account of the negative effects the delay poses to the economy that has survived half year without a budget thereby causing severe pains to the masses.

 “NANS as unbiased national students’ body hereby pledges unalloyed support to President Buhari administration’s efforts to take the country out of the protracted darkness. However, we mandate the President to put up viable mechanisms in place to ensuring that the increment reflects accordingly vis-à-vis infrastructural developments and capital projects enlisted in the budget particularly constituency projects adduced as the reason for the increment by the National Assembly”, Bamigbade said.

“The Nigerian students are not different from the neglected youths over the years, and we have risen from our slumber of many decades. Consequently, we will no longer allow public officeholders toil with our future as usual. All capital projects included in the 2018 budget must be identifiable particularly the constituency projects allocated to lawmakers with endless outrageous allowances. It is no longer business as usual but ‘operation show your constituency projects’ and ‘running costs’”.

NANS senate president stated further, “once again, we commend the president for his political will and selflessness so far in redressing some of the monumental abnormally in the system and therefore pledge our continued supports, protection and cooperation as he continues to tackle the problems of the nation. However, our ultimatum on the resolution of NOUN/Law School crisis stands. Again, a more viable approach should be deployed for dealing with insecurity challenges that has claimed countless lives in the country”.