What’s in Budget Signing?
The delayed signing of the 2017 budget has remained needlessly controversial. The second quarter of the year is almost gone and the budget, although passed weeks ago by the National Assembly, is yet to receive presidential assent. It is one development believed to have been occasioned by sheer politics of power.
One thing this has shown is that the nation’s politicians have hardly learnt from some of the experiences that have brought the nation thus far, especially the one bestowed on the nation by the unintended recession.
Some of the projections about the economy are that this very budget would help the nation get out of recession quickly, but emphasis is more on time as the variables are not stagnant. If the budget fails to takeoff within reasonable time frame, the projections about exiting recession soon might as well remain forlorn. Thus, the need to give this spending bill the force of law as soon as possible through presidential assent.
With the passing of the Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly weeks ago, a government that is determined to quickly get the nation out of recession would have ensured prompt implementation and monitoring of the budget. It is not late however. Since the President is on medical vacation, the acting president should urgently attend to the issue. The economy cannot be put in jeopardy on account of venal power game. The overriding public interest should at this point be the focus.