12 remarks by Buhari at the signing of the 2016 budget

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AT THE SIGNING OF THE 2016 APPROPRIATION BILL INTO LAW ON FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016, ABUJA

1. It gives me great pleasure today to sign the first full-year budget of this administration into law. I thank the leadership of the National Assembly, in particular, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and indeed all members of the National Assembly for their cooperation in making this a reality.

2. The budget is intended to signpost a renewal of our commitment to restoring the budget as a serious article of faith with the Nigerian people. This Administration is committed to ensuring that henceforth the annual appropriation bill is presented to the National Assembly in time for the passage of the Act before the beginning of the fiscal year.

3. Through the 2016 budget, aptly titled "Budget of Change’’, the government seeks to fulfill its own side of the social contract. The Budget I have signed into law provides for aggregate expenditures of N6.06trn. Further details of the approved budget, as well as our Strategic Implementation Plan for the 2016 budget, will be provided by the Honourable Minister of Budget and National Planning.

4. I shall be speaking in more details about the Budget, its implementation and the over-all national economic and social policies of the Government in my address on May 29th, God willing.

5. In designing the 2016 budget, we made a deliberate choice to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy despite the huge decline in government revenues from crude oil exports. This is why we decided to enlarge the budget deficit at this time, to be financed principally through foreign and domestic borrowings. All borrowings will however be applied towards growth-enhancing capital expenditures.

6. The signing of the budget today will trigger concerted efforts to reflate the Nigerian economy, a key element of which is an immediate injection of N350bn into the economy by way of capital projects. To illustrate our renewed commitment to infrastructural development, the 2016 budget allocates over N200bn to road construction as against a paltry N18bn allocated for same purpose in the 2015 budget.

7. Despite the current difficulties we will work extra-hard to achieve our revenue projections. Our revenue generating agencies are coming under better management and are being re-oriented. The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is expected to contribute significantly to improving transparency over government revenues.

8. Our determined fight against corruption is resulting in improvements in the quality of public expenditure. The work of the Efficiency Unit, as well as other public financial management initiatives, are also contributing in this regard. The continuing efforts to reduce recurrent expenditures should hopefully free up more funds for capital expenditure in 2017 and beyond.

9. As I said in my New Year message, living in State House does not in any way alienate me from your daily struggles. I read the newspapers and listen to the TV and radio news. I hear your cries. I share your pains.

10. We are experiencing probably the toughest economic times in the history of our Nation. I want to commend the sacrifice, resilience and toughness of all Nigerians young and old who have despite the hardships continued to have hope and confidence of a great future for Nigerians. But permit me to say that this government is also like none other. We are absolutely committed to changing the structure of the Nigerian economy once and for all.

11.We are working night and day to diversify the economy so that we never again have to rely on one commodity to survive as a country. So that we can produce the food we eat, make our own textiles, produce most of the things we use. We intend to create the environment for our young peoples to be able to innovate and create jobs through technology.

12. I cannot promise you that this will be an easy journey, but in the interest of so much and so many we must tread this difficult path. I can assure you that this government you have freely elected will work with honesty and dedication, day and night to ensure that our country prospers and that the prosperity benefits all Nigerians. God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.

**These remarks were articulated by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

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Scammers drive Minister out of social media

Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika has closed his email and social media accounts over the activities of internet scammers.

The Minister told newsmen in Abuja on Saturday that scammers opened 300 emails and 10 Facebook accounts in his name to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

“I want to categorically state that I no longer have a Facebook account because there are about 10 Facebook accounts in my name. I have no email also because there are about 300 emails opened in my name and seven twitter handles in my name.

“I do not partake in the entire social media platform like I saw one email this morning which is not mine,” he said.

Sirika stressed that it is not his practice to give out employment or gifts through the internet.

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DPR auctions 44 jerry cans of petrol seized from street hawkers (Photo)

44 jerry cans containing1320 litres of petrol seized from black market operators in Bornu State by men of the Nigerian Security And Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC and handed over to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR are to be auctioned to the public.

“We have decided to auction the commodities to members of the public, while the money would be remitted to the Federal Government account.

“We have stepped up our surveillance on filling stations in the metropolis to ensure compliance and selling of all petroleum products at government approved pump prices,”  said Ali Zoaka, Zonal Controller of DPR in Maiduguri.

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Kano Pillars get N2.4m fine for crowd violence

The League Management Company, LMC has fined Kano Pillars N2.4m for the unruly behavior of their fans during and after last Wednesday's league match against visiting Enyimba International FC at the Sani Abacha Stadium. Pillars lost the match 1-2.

Trouble started with Pillars' fans throwing objects on to the pitch following Nzube Anaezemba’s equalizer. It took the intervention of policemen at the stadium in  to check the agitated fans.

However, the situation deteriorated at the end of the game as after Enyimba had gone ahead to grab the winning goal.

Angry Pillars fans laid a siege to the Enyimba team bus and attacked them, seriously wounding the driver and damaging the vehicle.

After considering the match report, the League Management Company issued the following statement.

“LMC established that fans of four-time champions, Pillars were disorderly; throwing objects towards the pitch of play and encroaching.

“Pillars will pay N500K each for throwing objects during the game and encroachment impeding movement out of the arena after the game.

“An Enyimba official injured during the commotion is to get N250K Pillars money as compensation.

“Pillars are to conduct a mandatory seminar on acceptable behaviour for its fans, to be supervised by LMC.

“Pillars under close watch and placed on suspended 2-match without fans at Kano Stadium if similar incident repeats.

“Enyimba will get N150K to effect repairs on vehicle damaged in Kano.”

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Crowd violence: Pillars to mount CCTV at Sani Abacha Stadium

The management of Kano Pillars FC has decided to install CCTV cameras at the Sani Abacha Stadium, following crowd violence in last Wednesday's match against Enyimba which the home team lost by 1 - 2.

The four-time Premier League champions believe that the installation of the cameras will help monitor the activities of fans at the stadium.

"CCTV cameras will soon be installed at different places of Sani Abacha Stadium to help prevent post-match violence.

"Anyone caught in the violence will be permanently banned from watching any of our games at the stadium.

"We sincerely apologize and regret the post match violence that occurred during our last march," the club said in a series of tweets.

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Benue has no land for grazing - Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that creating grazing routes for cattle would not stop the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the country.

Ortom also assured Benue people that they would not be shortchanged under his administration.

The governor stated his position when the House of Representatives’ Committee on Complaints and Public Safety visited him in Makurdi on Saturday.

Ortom contended that ranching was the only way out of the frequent and deadly clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
“In the 50s when grazing routes were designated for cows, the population of Nigeria was less than 40 million.

“Today, we have over 200 million, and the same land mass that we had in the 50s is the same that we have today. The submission is that we must ranch our cattle like it is done in other climes,” he argued.

He also contended that ranching has been adopted successfully across the world and Nigeria should not be left out.

“In 21st Century America, in Britain and other developed countries, no cattle is seen on the roads.

“I have a ranch; we can help the rearers but not through grazing routes or reserves.

“The lasting solution and the way forward is not grazing routes nor reserves; these will not solve the problem. We don’t have 20 hectares of land to donate as grazing reserve and routes.

“There is no land for grazing reserves in Benue. We want to diversify our economy; our people are heeding to the advice to go back to farm,” he said.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Aminu Jaji said they were in Benue to sympathise with the government and its people on the recent invasion of Agatu land and other parts of the state by armed Fulani herdsmen.

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Landmine kills seven returnee IDPs in Yobe State

Seven returnee IDPs who went to clear their farmland for the planting season have been killed by a landmine planted by Boko Haram terrorists.

The incident happened in Goniri town, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Goniri is one of the towns recaptured from the insurgents.

The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Aji Bularafa, while confirming the development to Channels Television , said that the returnee IDPs were clearing their farmlands in preparation for the cropping season when the IED which had been buried there exploded  killing seven of them.

Following the unfortunate incident, the state government has embarked on a sensitisation campaign to educate residents of Gujba, Gulani, Damaturu, Geidam and Yunusari Local Government Areas, which had been ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, to be careful while farming, as the terrorists may have left many IEDs across farmlands before fleeing the area.

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