The projects were smuggled into the ministry’s plan after its N40.918 billion budget proposalý had been reduced to N31.618billion.
There were strong indications last night that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma might brief President Muhammadu Buhari today.
It was also learnt yesterday that Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir David Lawal may today meet with ministers over the impasse.
Ogbeh and his team were shocked by the mutilation of the ministry’s budget, a source said.
There were fears that the insertion of the strange projects might affect Buhari’s plans to diversify the economy.
About three projects unconnected with the agriculture sector have been included in the ministry’s projects.
These border on erosion control in Federal University, Kashere, Kwadon and Garin Alhaji at N200 million, N100 million and N45 million.
A top source said: ‘’In the Agric sector, 386 projects were inserted, which totalled about N12.6 billion.
‘“While N5.3 billion of the main ministry’s budget is taken away, about N7.2 billion is infused into almost 40 agencies and parastatals of the agric ministry.”
Other smuggled projects are provision of 58 boreholes for 29 rural communities and an additional 50 for 50 rural communities in the sum of N175 million and N150.4 million. “Curiously, the communities are not named”, the source said, adding:
“Similarly, of the N90 million allocated to the Cocoa Research Institute in Ibadan, various sums are allotted the following ýof the seven sub-heads: provision of rubber seeds and seedling in Igbotako, Okitipupa, (N5m), training and empowerment of youths in poultry farming in Oluyole, Ibadan(N20m) and provision of cassava processing plant in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State(N10m)
“Of the four sub-heads under the Rubber Research Institute, Benin, two areas are equally outside the focus of rubber. These are training and empowerment of youth and women in fish farming in Ndokwa, Delta State as well as fabrication and installation of cassava processing machines in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State at N10m and N20m.
“ Also, N1 billion was allocated to two projects in Kwara South Senatorial District, including the construction of rural roads for N700 million as well as empowerment of women and youths in agricultural products for N300 million.”
A member of the House of Representatives Appropriation Committee said the 386 projects were injected without the knowledge of the committee’s ,members.
‘’We are happy that ýthe Speaker hinted that the issue of the budget will be revisited this week. But what some of us want is the understanding of Nigerians on this matter.
‘’The issue of this controversial budget has to be carefully done this time around because some persons who think they were smarter had already led the entire parliament into collisioný with the executive and indeed Nigerians.
‘’They have done this by inserting projects without the knowledge of others either in the appropriation or relevant sectoral committees and presenting same as the collective decision of the house or the entire parliament.
‘’To the best of my knowledge, as a member of both the appropriation and agriculture committees in the House of Representatives, I did know that we reduced the ministry’s N40.9 billion proposal by about N9.3 billion.
‘’But the surprise here is that while a decision was not taken where to infuse the reduced sum, some of us were surprised to see that so many projects were passed on to the President for assent, which he declined.
‘’The implication is that if the President did not insist on details, most National Assembly members would not have had the opportunity to know what went behind them.”
There were strong indications yesterday that the Minister of Budget and National Planning might brief President Buhari today.
A top source said: “I know that Udoma will meet with the President today as part of a debriefing session on the 2016 budget.
“Also, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, may meet with ministers on Monday over the impasse.
“All these consultations will guide the President on what he should do. The options are to return the budget to the National Assembly for a review of the details with a new timeline; withholding of assent; and to sign the budget into law with a Supplementary Budget later to fill in the gaps.”
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By News Express on 18/04/2016

For the first time, governance may shut down unless either President Muhammadu Buhari or the National Assembly blinks early enough over the 2016 budget.
Sources in the polity had noted that this would be the first time such a development would happen, as the Constitution only gives the executive power to spend 50 per cent of the previous year’s budget for six months in the absence of a new budget.
A Presidency source, however, insisted that President Buhari would not assent the budget as passed.
Though the House of Representatives had made its intention known to review the budget if it received complaints from the executive, the Senate said last week, that it was only awaiting a supplementary budget in case the executive had objections to the passed budget.
That could be a source of potential government shutdown, as the government cannot spend any money legally after June.
A source close to the Presidential Villa said: “Buhari will not sign that Appropriation Bill into law and he has already made his intention known to the assemblymen.
“He has been consulting widely with both legal and political associates on how to deal with the situation. A former leader even met with him shortly before he left for China.
“The president has so far relied on the constitutional provision, which allows him to spend up to 50 per cent of the previous year’s budget, but that could snap if the crisis is not resolved by end of June.
“And if the worst should happen and the National Assembly refuses to rework the budget proposal, the government will rather shut down than for him to allow the old forces of retrogression to have their way and humiliate him.”
Sources in the executive said the flagship projects by which Buhari intended to convince Nigerians that his administration meant well, were removed or distorted.
A contentious one remains the new standard gauge rail lines between Lagos and Calabar. It was expunged by the National Assembly on the argument that it was not in the final corrected copy submitted by The Presidency but sent later to the budget committee by Transportation Minister Chibuike Amaechi .
It was learnt that at the emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held to review the budget as passed by the National Assembly, there was a consensus to reject the document and return it to the lawmakers.
Sources in the executive also said the decision to resist the legislature on the budget was taken, pursuant to the advice given by the legal minds within the administration who were of the view that the legislature did not have the right to increase budgetary votes.
They also claimed that the legislature could, however, reduce proposals if they believed that there was price inflation or if the projects were frivolous.
A source said: “But how can they inject new projects or raise the figures? Do they have the capacity to commission consultants to design projects? And if projects have not been designed by the executive, how can they vote money for it?
“Actually, President Buhari feels that there are some elements within and outside the National Assembly determined to distort his lofty intentions to emancipate Nigerians.”
•Adapted from a Nigerian Tribune report. Photo shows President Buhari presenting the budget to the National Assembly last December.
Source News Express
Posted 18/04/2016 07:27:42 AM
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