NOT comfortable with the implementation of 2017 budget, the Senate President disclosed that the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and her counterpart in the Budget and National Planning Ministry, Senator Udoma Udo Ndoma, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele to appear before the entire Senate to explain the implementation process of the budget by the executive.
In his welcome back speech to the Senators after the annual recess, Senate President Bukola Saraki who noted that the Senate has commenced review of the 2017 Budget implementation by first week of October, said that the move became imperative to know how the budget had affected the lives of Nigerians in terms of infrastructural development and other areas of life.
He said, “Nigerians want to see a more significant improvement in the level of implementation of the budget this financial year. Let me use this opportunity to call on all our standing committees to begin the process of putting together their oversight plan for a close and proper review of the performance of the 2017 Budget.
“In the same token, we must remind ourselves of the initiative we started and for which we have significant stride – that is, the Made in Nigeria initiative.
“Distinguished colleagues, it is time to enter the next stage of this initiative; the oversight of implementation to ensure that the policy yields expected gains.
I will like therefore want to see the committees demonstrate readiness to engage government to ensure that at least a significant portion of our annual budget is fully dedicated to local procurement. All committees of the Senate must be involved in this and find better channels to engage our people and enable feedbacks.”
