2021 budget: Abaribe, others say appropriation bill unrealistic
- Some Nigerian senators from the opposition party have rejected the 2021 appropriation bill
- During a plenary on Tuesday, the senators led by minority leader Enyinnaya Abaribe said the budget is unrealistic
- According to them, the budget is "nothing but old news" because it failed to reflect the present economic reality of Nigeria
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The 2021 appropriation bill has been described as "unrealistic" by Enyinnaya Abaribe, minority leader of the Senate and other senior lawmakers from the opposition.
Speaking during a plenary on Tuesday, October 13, the lawmaker stated that the N13 trillion budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari lacks conviction with regards to the present state of the economy.
Abaribe, who also described the budget as "nothing but old news", said the expectation in which the bill was based on is unreliable because "we are not also so sure what the oil situation is going to be."
Source: UGC
Legit.ng understands that the budget is based on an exchange rate benchmark of N379/$ and crude oil production of 1.86 million barrels per day at $40 per barrel.
Further checks showed that N2.083 trillion which represents 29% of the total budget is earmarked for the capital expenditure.
Abaribe, who is representing Abia South senatorial district, was backed by the senator representing Rivers northeast George Sekibo, who wondered why the capital project could be lower than the deficit.
Senator Abaribe said:
“If the budget is based on assumption, I agree but why are not assuming properly. I want to go ahead and say it does not reflect the understanding of the fundamental challenges of today.
“This budget is nothing but old news. Every time the same old news, nothing new.”
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported earlier that Senate was on Tuesday, September 29, thrown into an uproar as the minority leader kicked against the appointment into the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
President Buhari had in a letter directed to the Senate sought the approval of Aisha Umar from the northeast geopolitical region as the new director-general of PENCOM.
But Abaribe, in a point of order, kicked against the appointment of Umar, saying she came from the northeast in what clearly contradicted the act establishing the PENCOM.
In a related development, Abaribe accused President Buhari of an alleged endless blame game, following his controversial October 1 address.
Buhari had during his presidential speech marking the 60th anniversary of Nigeria's independence noted that the country's current woes were because those before him were nonchalant.
Although the president did not mention any name, he indirectly made reference to those who occupied the Aso Rock seat of power before him, including Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.
5 years after, Nigerians speak about Buhari's administration | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
