Following the presentation of the N16.39trillion 2022 budget proposals to the National Assembly, a lawmaker, Hon Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure, has observed that corruption, looting and “pen robbery” in public service system may hinder implementation of the budget for the benefit of Nigeria Masses.
He noted that corruption was responsible for the grounding of the nation’s economy.
Specifically, he declared that the budget and previous ones, are more beneficial to the elites in implementation than the masses.
Hon. Kazaure who represents Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, spoke on Thursday in an interview with select journalists in Abuja.
Kazaure said the elites, as experienced in the past, would benefit from whatever gains or benefits packaged in the proposals.
“The N16.39tr 2022 budget, as far as I am concerned, and based on outcomes of previous ones over the years, is for the elites and not the masses who constitute the largest percentage of the country’s population.
“President Buhari, like his predecessors may in their own intensions, want provisions of such budgetary proposals, beneficial to all, but implementations of such budgets over the years clearly show that the elites and not the masses are largely the beneficiaries.
“This is so singularly because of malignant or systemic corruption in the public or civil service system used as machinery for implementation of the budgets”, he said .
According to him, in stopping the yearly financial ritual from being largely pocketed by the elites in particular, the civil or public servants, the war on corruption should be aggressively fought proactively and not just by mouthing or media trials .
Consequently, he declared that for the war to be potent and effective, all the bodies set up for it like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), The Nigeria Police etc, should be proactive in their operations and not reactive .
