Reps members kick over Federal Government nod on budget framework

Members of the House of Representatives at a plenary.
PHOTO: TWITTER/DOGARA
The recent approval of the 2017-2019 budget
framework by the Federal Government is triggering
contention among some members of the House of
Representatives.
The legislators are expected to debate the proposal
when they resume September 13.
Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma
Udo Udoma, at the end of this week’s Federal
Executive Council, had announced government’s
approval of the 2017-2019 Medium Term
Expenditure Framework (MTEF), with a projection
of N290 exchange rate to a dollar in 2017.
In a reaction, the chairman, House Committee on
Banking and Currency, Chukwudi Victor Jones, said
the decision was likely to stir controversies on the
floor of the House when government communicates
the plan to members.
He said: “It’s mere proposal and until it comes to
the National Assembly, which will look at it
critically and approve it, it cannot come to force.
“I tell you, it’s going to be a huge debate on the
floor when members begin to consider the
proposals. How do you determine the exchange rate
for 2017 when we are running a flexible exchange?”
The chairman, House Committee on Public
Procurement, Oluwole Oke, regretted that President
Buhari was being misled by his economic team.
In an interview, he said: “It’s sad that the
government has no regard for other people’s
opinions, no respect for the parliament.
The
economic team of the President are his greatest
enemy. They lack capacity. We have had too many
economic policy somersaults. Why can’t we solve
the problem of the Niger Delta, so that we can have
more crude oil production, so that we can earn
more forex? This should be our priority.”