Buhari’s new directive on 2016 budget

-The presidency creates a platform for Nigerians to access the 2016 budget and make appropriate input

To enable Nigerians access the 2016 budget and make appropriate input, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed draft of the budget should be hosted on the website of the budget office.

The presidency also emphasised it would accommodate well-meaning criticism of government’s policies; its budget and expenditure.

Mallam Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, via a statement explained that the directive would bring about the change promised Nigerians.


Making reference to a newspaper report with the headline, ‘2016 Budget: Buhari to spend more on State House clinic than on all federal govt-owned teaching hospitals’, Shehu refuted the claim that the presidency was misleading the public on any aspect of the budget.

Shehu clarified that the budget office supplied a summary of the allocations to the various sectors under the ministry of health, which showed clearly that the published story was inaccurate.

”The budget office has affirmed that in terms of both capital and recurrent allocations, the draft budget has put far more money in the 17 teaching hospitals than it did in the state house clinic.

”Having said this, we are not by any stretch of imagination suggesting that the draft budget is beyond comments or reproach. Nor do we wish to dwell on this simply to make a point. To do that will drive away good citizens from pointing out needed corrections and, ultimately defeating the change mantra of the administration,” the statement reads.

The presidency affirmed that citizens reserve the right to examine the budget content and provide their own perspectives without hinderance.

“As the draft goes through the approval process, this and many other aspects will continue to generate interest, criticism, commendation and sometimes condemnation in discussions in the parliament, the media and the court of public opinion.’’

The presidency is also optimistic that the process of change will be affected by, and stands to gain form through these debates.

Shehu however, assured that the federal government has no reason whatsoever to mislead the citizens on the budget and on all other matters.