The legislature and its new slate
Year In year out, the Executive inundates the citizenry with programs, plans, policies, promises and what not of which in reality, only midas touches can bring those unkempt promises to fruition. Budgets are presented, figures rolled out, targets set, and huge campaigns are launched, showcasing the Government’s commitment in implementing the budget and its promises. […]
Year In year out, the Executive inundates the citizenry with programs, plans, policies, promises and what not of which in reality, only midas touches can bring those unkempt promises to fruition. Budgets are presented, figures rolled out, targets set, and huge campaigns are launched, showcasing the Government’s commitment in implementing the budget and its promises. At the end of the fiscal year, nearly all branches and arms of government are back on the table, cap in hands, thirstier for more allocations to cater for projects and other expenditures that were holistically covered by the previous budget.
Even though in fairness to the government of whichever day, the budget is most at times approved for implementation when the year it is intended to cover has reached its second quarter. This means implementation starts way too late, thus making it difficult to cover up lost ground in terms of time. However, the legislature has also given extensions in deadlines of budget implementation and by so doing, given the government more time to make up for the lost time. Unfortunately, with or without delays, almost all governments have been guilty of very poor implementation and that leaves no option but the point blank conclusion that over time, Government has lacked the commitment and drive to deliver promises it makes to the nation, year in year out.
Clearly, government makes unrealistic pronouncements and budgets with reckless abandon, knowing fully well that they are not feasible. It doesn’t take an economics’ expert to see that targets, goals and schemes formulated are not backed by the proper finances and dedication to implementation. Estimates show that monies will be generated, plus or minus setbacks, and each sector is allocated funds from anticipated revenues which more often than not, do come into government coffers and yet, little gets done the whole year. In that case, one can deduce even through a smoke screen that mismanagement and waste are the only ‘reasonable’ excuses that can explain away the poor performance in implementation. Contractions are suffered only when it comes to implementation and not in generation.
The buck stops at the table of the legislature in taming such anomalies in implementation as it carries out its oversight function and protects the interest of the nation against waste and corruption when it comes to management of resources meant to enhance the conditions of living in the country. Before now, the legislature has merely been engaged with grandstanding as while it makes efforts to properly supervise governance, it gets carried away pursuing its own interests which are usually lacerated with corruption and similar inadequacies displayed by the government itself.
The present assembly presumably attempts to change this impasse in the failure of government’s implementation of its fiscal policies. From 2011 to date, its efforts to sanitize government and its excesses have dwindled in the light of accusations that indict it of committing the same offenses it seeks to address and such indictment has partly robbed it of some credibility. Nevertheless, it remains the most salient arm of government that has shown deeper concern for the interest of the common man and has made remarkable efforts in curbing excesses in the abuse of government authority as well as neglect of its functions.
Recently, it has stamped its feet against the gesture by the executive of self reform, away from the bad practice of late budget presentations that lead to delays in approvals and subsequently late starts in implementation. This could be a turning point and a departure from the usual situations where efforts made by the legislature in influencing government actions for the common good of the country are dismissed as threats by shadows that don’t seem to wield any power that effectively oversees proper governance. The assessment of the 2012 budget and scoring of its implementation by the legislature and the subsequent actions or counter actions it will take in the final analysis will define which path the legislature is really on in the process of nation building. Will it embrace its seemingly new slate or will it continue with the dances with wolves? Time shall reveal at the turn of 2013 as Nigerians watch with keen and hopeful interest.
Tahir Ibrahim Tahir is Talban Bauchi.