The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sen. Dino Melaye has criticized plans by the executives to borrow money to fund the 2018 budget currently before the National Assembly for consideration and passage. The Senator said the plan by the government to borrow was suspicious more so that some Ministries, Department and Agencies are still 'keeping unutilized funds'.
The Senator who stated this during plenary called on his colleagues to ensure budget implementation using their various committees.
“There is no relationship between 2017 and 2018 budget. There is an outstanding of over N1.1 billion stamp duty that has not been remitted into the federation account yet we took Eurobond of $5.5 billion; we won’t need that if these funds were remitted.
“NNPC is supposed to pay over N300 million into the federation account, no kobo was paid by NNPC in 2016, none was paid in 2017 and we say we are fighting corruption.
“It is time for this Senate to ask principal agents of the government that are keeping government money so that it be put in the consolidated revenue. Why are we borrowing when we have money scattered in agencies.
“Enough is enough, we must make sure that the 2017 budget is implemented. It is our responsibility to convert this ‘boju boju’ budget to a budget that will be accepted in the margins of this country because hunger has no political and all of us go to the same market.”
