Some stakeholders and economic experts in the country expressed mixed feelings over the 2017 budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari, to the National Assembly, yesterday tagged Budget of recovery and growth.
While some were confident about the president’s political will, ceoafrica gathered that others predicted a robust economic outlook in 2017, with drastic economic reforms imminent in which Abdullahi Gana, a civil servant, said the 2016 budget had not yielded much positive results.
Gana added that government hasn’t find time to listen or read about 2017 figures when that of 2016 is yet to change lives, he charged them to circulate money in the economy so that it gets to the impoverished and hungry citizens.
Moreover, Bulama Baba, another civil servant, commended the government efforts to diversify the economy as Buhari has hinted that diversification is his economic policy and administration’s direction, he admonished Nigerians to return to farms, engage in extraction of materials and produce locally to suit Nigerians needs.
Moreso, Muhammad Ciroma said if all proposals that the president presented in the assembly would be executed with integrity, Nigeria would have no cause to be broke as he affirmed that Buhari’s government has made tremendous progress in governance and oil transparency.
Ciroma admonished government to monitor effectiveness of operations and tackle difficult issues especially the Niger Delta militants.
Furthermore, Muhammad Askira, a lecturer at Ramat Polytechnic, said the 2016 budget showed that budgets were never holistically prepared in this country for anything at all as it is since nobody cares for availability of money that will be shared couple with absence of budget monitoring.
She inquired that “Supposing there was no change in government from PDP to APC, you and I would never have known the inadequacies in running the government of Nigeria or any government before till now”
However, Friday Nwadinobi, a resident of Gwange quarters, said polarisation of the country was affecting governance as the loyalty any leader gets from the civil servants or subordinates depends on ethno religious beliefs or alignment.
He said that “Saboteurs are everywhere. Although criticizing the government won’t do anything, but for a government that has clearly declared war on corruption, when even the head of an arm of government is under trial, doubting takes charge.
Friday urged the president to enlighten Nigerians about the assignment is embarking upon, since it’s glaring that government is doing its best possible to bring the country of the economic woes.
