Bashir Bello Abuja
Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano North Senatorial District has assured Nigerians of speedy work on the 2022 budget proposals transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The law maker who made this known at an interactive session with media practitioners shortly after the President’s speech on Thursday, 7 October 2021 said that due to corona virus restrictions, the President was forced to transmit the budget virtually.
” Due to the Covide-19 pandemic the President could not address a joint house as he is used to.
The Law Maker explained:
“However, the Senate is determined to embark on a speedy scrutiny of the proposals and pass the budget. Already, in less than an hour of the transmission of the budget to the National Assembly, I have commenced work.
“In less than 24 hours, I shall send a copy to all law makers, he added
Responding to Journalists on the fears that the N16 trillion budget may be unrealistic, Senator Jibrin said that,
“We have an expected revenue of about N10 trillion, while the rest of the money would come from loans and others means.
He blamed recession and the People’s Democratic Party as the reasons why the Federal Government had to borrow in order to fund the 2022 budget
“The PDP had in the past 16 put up no viable projects and it did not diversify the economy. Similarly, the Corona virus pandemic challenge, forced the Buhari’s led administration to seek for funds so that budgets had to be financed.
Senator Jibrin who is also the chairman of the Appropriation Commitee commended the administration of Buhari for the way it managed all the monies allocated to the various projects and ministries in the 2021 fiscal year.
“I Can tell you as the chair of the appropriation committee, there was 100 percent adherence to spending of funds meant for all projects in a transparent way by the Federal Government.
The law further added that the 2022 budget would not be affected the forth coming general election in 2023. Nonetheless, he reassured Nigerians that the President is committed to making sure that electricity, good roads and other infrastructures are put in place in order to attract foreign investment.
