President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the 2016 budget proposal presently before the National Assembly be uploaded to the website of the budget office for Nigerians to read and make observations.
The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said that putting the document on the internet would help dispel opinions that government could be misleading the public on some aspects of the budget.
Concerning a report that the President allocated more funds to the State House Clinic than all Federal Government-owned teaching hospitals in the 2016 budget, Shehu said that the
summary of the allocations to all the sectors under the Ministry of Health exposed the inaccuracy of the report.
His words:
“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 budget is a Nigerian budget and citizens reserve the right to examine its content and provide their own perspectives.
“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.
“We believe that the process of “change” will be affected by, and stands to gain from these debates especially where there is good faith on all sides.
“Government has no reason whatsoever to mislead the citizens on the budget and on all other matters for whatever reason,” he said.
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