Editorial
2021 Budget Proposal: NASS N128bn Allocation And Matters Arising
Sequel to the recent presentation of Nigeria’s annual spending plans for the next fiscal year to a joint session of the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari, it is increasingly becoming a subject of interest as pundits and critical stakeholders from different endeavours decipher contents of the document.
While President Muhammadu Buhari seems to be actualising his administration’s commitment to maintaining a January to December budget cycle, the issue of resentment over what many see as a misplaced priority in the allocation of huge funds to the National Assembly is featuring prominently once again.
The country’s legislature since the return to civil rule in 1999 has been enjoying jumbo allocation of funds every fiscal year amidst government’s failure to vote more money for healthcare, education among others pressing needs. So, when the executive presented the 2021 Appropriation Bill with N128billion expected to go to NASS against N125billion last year, it evidently sparked a widespread outcry from citizens outraged at an additional N3billion for the federal lawmakers at a time when the government is supposed to be cutting the cost of governance with a view to saving scarce resources that can be channelled towards improving services to the Nigerian people, especially in this era of an economic downturn occasioned by dwindling oil revenues as well as the COVID-19 pandemic which has adversely affected the global economy.
Even in the days of the oil boom that swelled the nation’s coffers, the issue of jumbo salaries and allowances for Nigerian federal lawmakers comprising 109 members of the Senate and 360 legislators in the House of Representatives featured prominently as a matter of waste that needed to be addressed. Such calls have even become more imperative as the government explores ways of cutting costs including the recent total removal of subsidy on petroleum products.
Not a few are at ease that while the masses wallow in poverty, the National Assembly members continue to enjoy remunerations that leave their counterparts in more prosperous nations with mouths agape. It is worthy of note that the total proposed expenditure of N13.08 trillion with a crude oil benchmark price of $40 per barrel and daily oil production estimate of 1.86 million barrels will be financed in part with huge borrowings from international lenders like the IMF, World Bank and the Chinese government among others.
Judging from the lean resources at government’s disposal and an array of socio-economic challenges facing the nation, we align with the numerous voices of reason against not only the additional N3billion which shored up the N125billion budgeted for the National Assembly in 2020 to N128billion for next year, but equally agree that there is a need for a downward review of the pay packages of federal lawmakers in Nigeria. Besides, we make bold to say that a situation where the Nigerian masses are constantly slipping into aggravated poverty, and their elected representatives at the National Assembly are living fully cocooned lives courtesy of over N13million monthly salary for each Senator and over N9million for a House of Representatives member, to say the least, makes the nation a laughing stock among the comity of nations. Meanwhile, we also advocate the change to a unicameral legislature like it was practised in the First Republic as a way of cutting the cost of servicing the National Assembly members.
That, in our candid view, will not only conserve scarce resources that can be deployed to other sectors for the government to improve the quality of life for the people but in addition reduce encumbrances in running the National Assembly as well as other inherent benefits
It was an excitement for members of the editorial staff of New National Star at the Abuja headquarters as management organised a retreat for them last Friday 17 March, 2023. The retreat, which, by every standard, could be described as very successful was attended by almost all the editorial staff in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The retreat started with an opening speech by chairman of the planning committee, Demola Abimboye, who explained that the retreat, which is the first of its type, became necessary because of the lapses observed in the editorial content by the management team.
Abimboye stated that the retreat is also necessary to update and refresh the editorial staff, even as he called on participants to take the training very seriously.
Managing director, New National Star, Dr Obinna F. Nwachukwu, who declared the retreat open, on behalf of management, expressed hope that from next week, there would be a change in the newspaper content, especially in news and feature writing, opinion writing and other writings.
Obinna said that management also appreciates the importance of having a house style, because before now, the newspaper did not have a house style, adding that it is expected that the retreat would serve as train-the-trainer exercise.
Presenting the first paper for the retreat, titled: Critical Review of New National Star, the managing director explained that participants need to review the newspaper to know how they have done and also to appreciate their achievements and performance.
He noted that one thing common with the publication over time is errors, even as he pointed out that the errors have become minimal since the previous week, adding that a four-member committee would be set up to draw the house style for the newspaper.
In his paper, titled Media Law, Libel, etc, Dr Ibrahim Mainasara mentioned the qualifications of a journalist to include, knowledge of history, sociology, law, demography of Nigeria and must be a man of integrity. He continued, “Journalists must be socially amiable. Journalists should know the matter of security. Journalists should make friends who can promote his job. Journalism is responsible for public education.”
This was followed by the third paper, titled, Feature Writing, presented by Demola Abimboye, who listed four differences between a feature story and news stories.
Abimboye advised participants to learn the art of feature writing and to do more on feature writing for the newspaper.
Speaking on the paper, titled, Investigative and Interpretative Journalism, Nwachukwu also explained the importance of investigative journalism, even as he advised reporters to delve into the field and make an impact.
He stated that an investigative journalist must be Interpretative, observant and must be a crawler and discreet, adding that it is a delicate field, but an area that moves a journalist up the ladder in journalism.
Also, speaking, the editor of Authority Newspaper, Malachy Uzendu, who spoke on a paper titled, Newswriting, stressed the importance of a good news report for the newspaper.
This was followed by a presentation titled, Newspaper Production, by the acting editor, Williams Orji. The acting editor explained that newspaper production involves a process and that it is time bound. He noted that everybody is important in the process of newspaper production, even as he advised reporters to once on a while visit the newsroom to learn how newspapers are produced.
Theme: Avoiding Electoral Crisis in the 2023 General Elections: The Role of INEC and other Stakeholders
But Abuja residents are bewildered with the planned reintroduction nine years after it was declared illegal by a court. The current fear has arisen from many ugly scenarios starring the people in the face. For instance, residents, and indeed, visitors to the federal capital territory who have tasted the bully and uncouth attitude of the policy operators are yet to hear that the Court order has been vacated. Infact, the law abiding people are dazed by what may befall humanity when court judgements are not vacated and yet, authorities return to the status quo ante.
Another reason that Nigerians frown at the mulled reintroduction of the policy stems from the fact that they are hungry and impoverished by various government policies of late. And as the saying goes, a hungry man is an angry man. There is every reason for Nigerians to be angry. This is because the main reason for the government is to provide a conducive environment for its citizens to live. For far too long and especially in the last seven years, the poverty rate, insecurity and hunger in the land have been unprecedented, thus, fuelling a charged atmosphere of dissatisfaction and agony.
The Government at the centre and in fact, at all levels seemed to have reached an alliance at tasking the already over-burdened citizens with more taxes, all in the name of boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). It’s like the present government has an unwritten charter to make citizens pay from their nose even when such revenue sources may not be popular. Nigerians have been complaining that other legitimate revenue yielding sectors are neglected by the government which seemed more interested in over-taxing the proletariats rather than collecting huge revenues from the rich.
More worrisome is the simmering feud between the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and FCTA on whose shoulder the responsibility to collect such revenue falls. The Senior Special Assistant to the AMAC Chairman on Community Development, Yunusa Yusuf Ahmadu, told newsmen in Abuja at the weekend that the reintroduction of the policy would deny AMAC the legitimate revenue it needs to provide social amenities for the people. He described the reintroduction of the policy as unjustifiable, adding that AMAC has not permitted anybody to collect or manage activities on its behalf, especially on the streets and in the motor parks.
AMAC maintained that it would resist any attempt by the FCTA to reintroduce the policy, adding that the Administration does not have the legal backing to reintroduce the policy. It asked the FCTA to hand off the policy, which has been scheduled to take off by the end of first quarter of 2023.
AMAC has warned the FCT Administration not to allow the Transport Secretariat to mislead it, more especially as the issue is a Constitutional role assigned to the local government. Worse still, the arrowhead of the Park & Pay policy reintroduction was once the chairman of AMAC and never allowed the policy to be implemented under him.
Against this backdrop of insinuations of FCTA’s sabotage against AMAC, and a groundswell of citizens’ discontent, we feel a reintroduction of this policy may spark unrest in the FCT. While we support genuine efforts by government agencies to boost their revenue, we insist that reintroducing the Park & Pay Policy at this time is uncalled for, unpopular and anti-people. Nigerians are already choked with all manners of taxes. Even when the rift between AMAC and FCTA is settled, we advise that any revenue drive must come with human face and milk of kindness.
“…While we support genuine efforts by government agencies to boost their revenue, we insist that reintroducing the Park & Pay Policy at this time is uncalled for, unpopular and anti-people.”
STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT: NO PART OF TAX REFORM BILLS RECOMMENDS SCRAPPING TETFUND, NASENI, AND NITDA…NO PROVISION WILL IMPOVERISH THE NORTH
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