Avoiding a federal cash crunch

Wrangling over the form and figures of the 2013 budget continued unabated between the National Assembly and the Presidency, with the country entering the third quarter of the year in which the budget is supposed to be operational; and there is no end in sight to the squabble.Minister of finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, warned that […]

Wrangling over the form and figures of the 2013 budget continued unabated between the National Assembly and the Presidency, with the country entering the third quarter of the year in which the budget is supposed to be operational; and there is no end in sight to the squabble.
Minister of finance, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, warned that the government may not be able to pay salaries beyond September unless the legislators resolved the impasse.
This muscle flexing is pointless, given the key role that budgets traditionally play in the social and economic life the country and in the interaction with those who conduct business with it.  
Four months ago, when President Goodluck Jonathan sent a bill to the National Assembly seeking amendment to the 2013 budget of 4.987 trillion naira, the request did not go down well with the legislators ,who instead asked that the Presidency commenced action n the preparation of the 2014 Appropriation Bill.
It was the delay by the legislature to work on Jonathan’s proposed amendments that prompted Mrs Okonjo-Iweala to warn of impending cash crunch.
The Senate reacted by cautioning the minister to desist from making statements that could set the National Assembly on a collision course with the Presidency.
The House of Representatives claimed that the minister was trying to blackmail lawmakers in the eyes of the public and incite workers.
By any standard, the budget has taken too long.
 When the president initially signed the Appropriation Act, he did so with the full understanding of members of the National Assembly that he would present a supplementary bill later on to address the objections he had raised, one of which was the legislators’ reduction of the recurrent expenditure estimates.
 This feud between the two arms of government that has threatened to ground public services is unacceptable. The matter in dispute, which is central to the performance of the national economy and which ought to have been resolved either in  the legislative chamber or by the appropriate agencies  in the presidency, has unfortunately been moved to the theatre of public opinion with each side hoping to garner sympathy and understanding.
In many parts of the world today, and even in Africa, citizens who feel aggrieved and frustrated often pour onto the streets to demand better governance from their leaders. It is surprising that in the face of this type of frightening development, Nigerian leaders seem oblivious to it. This is dangerous. They should take a cue from what is happening all around the world and take such actions that will stave off a possible hurricane of unpalatable agitation that may spill onto the streets.  Many prominent Nigerians have alluded to that possibility.
The goal of every responsible and accountable government is to provide for the well being of the people. It is not about who presents the best arguments and which side has best skills or competence in passing the buck.
 The principal avenue for channelling the energy and resources into attaining that goal is the annual budget. If that avenue is now being rocked by squabbles as the case is now, the consequences will be dire.
Both the National Assembly and the Presidency must find common ground to quickly resolve the issue and get the economy moving again by agreeing on its provisions.
The continuing impasse does not do the economy any good, and sends the wrong signal about how it is managed by those at the helm of affairs.