Understanding The 2014 Budget – Nwagwu Everest

Every year, the Federal Government submits a budget to the National Assembly for approval, the budget is usually welcomed with mixed reactions and this year is no exception. The total budget of N4.6 trillion is lower than last year’s N4.9 trillion. More than 70% of the budget is for recurrent expenditure, which means the budget is majorly to pay salaries and keep the government afloat and not necessarily for building capital projects. As a patriotic citizen I have gone through the proposed budget (thanks to the budget office website) and have decided to highlight some major/disturbing/interesting items in the budget. Firstly, I would like to focus on the State House (presidency) because the State House sets a precedent for others to follow. I would spare the readers the time by not repeating some words as they were repeated in the budget. There was outrage last year when the presidency budgeted N1billion naira for feeding in a whole year, but it was never removed from the budget. According to National Geographic channel the U.S president pay for his own food right there in the White House, in fact if he wants to bring someone on Air Force One who is not in the official travelling delegation, he has to reimburse the American people the equivalent of first class airfare for the flight. This year the presidency has allocated N76.3m to purchase ‘crested cutlery, flatware and glassware’ (the Vice President budgeted N8m for ‘Kitchen Equipment’) basically the presidency wants to buy spoons and forks for N76.3m!!! Nigerians need to know that the cutleries used in Aso Rock are not disposed after each meal, and the State House is fully equipped with everything. Is the presidency planning to buy a single spoon with that money? Your guess is as good as mine. Remodelling of the new Vice President’s guest house at #41 Yakubu Gowon crescent Asokoro @ N115m , I was filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise when I saw same house being listed again this time as ‘furnishing of the Vice president’s guest house at #41 Yakubu Gowon crescent, Asokoro @ N40m’. Meanwhile, another item is ‘purchase of sports kits for State House sports club at N4.2m. The presidency has all the time in the world to form a sports club? Who are members of this sports club? At this difficult time in our voyage on this planet as a nation, is a sports club part of the transformation agenda? N1.6 billion is for purchase of embalming machine; the State House want a mortuary for whom? Is the National Hospital not a stone throw from the Villa? The presidency also budgeted N1.5 billion for a new presidential aircraft when we have 10 already. Unless Aso Rock plans to launch a National carrier with 11 aeroplanes, then I see no reason why we need 11 presidential jets. It is insanely irresponsible and ridiculously perplexing. President Joyce Banda sold the only presidential she met in office to cut cost of governance. None of the G8 member countries have 4 presidential jets. Interestingly, purchase of 2 animals for the Villa zoo is N14.5m, maintenance of zoo will cost N8m while renovation of horses’ stables/paddock will gulp N15m, wildlife conservation was allocated more than N70m in the 2013 budget. Average Nigerians will never have a chance of visiting the Villa zoo, and Abuja itself don’t have a standard zoo but we spend millions trying to turn our presidential Villa to heaven. Construction of VIP Wing in the State House medical centre = N1.3 billion, for just the VIP Wing, this is more than the budget allocated to 8 Teaching hospitals in the country. Individual car tracker for 100 presidential ground fleet and utility vehicles = N2.5m, note also that this same presidential ground fleet is included in the National Security adviser’s budget too. Please don’t say 100 vehicles are too much for our ground fleet, we are the giant of Africa and we need to show that by using 11 presidential jets and 100 vehicles. After all these the presidency still allocated N1.3billion for …upgrade of Villa facilities, sorry I do not understand the terms used in this budget presentation, after maintaining, renovating, remodeling and furnishing a Villa you still have to upgrade it? Why not just upgrade it at once rather than maintaining and renovating it before the upgrade? The Nigerian on the streets is not going to feel any impact from this budget. This budget is suffocating the masses; there is no breath of fresh air anywhere. Nwagwu Everest @mrprezident007