Jonathan suggests four-year capital budget proposal

Goodluck Jonathan
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Jonathan suggests four-year capital budget proposal

President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria has suggested a four-year in row, capital budget for the government to achieve budget implementation and performance.

The President who made the suggestion at the 2011 inauguration lecture in Abuja, said for the nation to develop, there was the need for a long term planning for execution of capital projects.

Enhancing project execution

He said there was the need for both the executive and the legislature to work together and agree on planning for the execution of key projects that would affect the nation positively.

“If I am to sit here for four years, why can't I propose for capital budget of four years, especially for key projects and agree with the National Assembly,'' he said.

He said the problem of passage of annual budgetary system was the cause of non- performance and non-implementation of the budget.

Ensuring ministry’s performance

The President also said that frequent change of Ministers and their portfolios was detrimental to development, professionalism and service delivery.  

Jonathan noted that the period appointed officers, particularly Ministers, stayed on their jobs determined the level of stability, competence and acquaintances with government policies and implementation of government agenda.

Specifically, the President said Nigeria had not made any significant progress in the solid minerals sector because of frequent change of Ministers overseeing the sector which he put at eight months interval.

Good foreign representation

“One thing that worries me is the duration of Ministers serving. For instance from Tafawa Balewa to Odein Ajumogobia, we have 24 Foreign Affairs Ministers in a spate of 51 years that means an average of two years per minister. How will a country drive its foreign policies?

"For a Minister to be very conversant with his or her duties, it will take an average of two years to really understand the policies of his country viz-a-viz international interest. This is the problem we are having.”

The president said he realised that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of some other countries have stayed for a longer period, leading to good representation of President on any issue raised.

More credible elections

On the outcome of the April general elections, the President said that the number of post-election litigations had dropped by 80 per cent compared to 2007.

He attributed this achievement to transformation in the nation’s electoral process which led to the conduct of free, fair and credible polls.

“This development shows that even in terms of electoral process, we are transforming,” he said.

Jonathan stressed that the nation was going somewhere, saying; “I believe that by 2015 we will be able to reduce it by 95 per cent and as we progress, may be in the next 20 years, going to court will be a thing of history.

NAN/Williams