Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf is the Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information Communication and Technology, ICT representing Kabba/Bunnu/Ijumu federal constituency of Kogi State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, he speaks on the budget and Kogi politics amongst other national issues. EDEGBE ODEMWINGIE presents the excerpts:
The House of Representatives recently undertook a week-long oversight visit to government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to assess the implementation of capital projects as contained in the 2012 budget. What is your assessment of the exercise?
The idea of even going on that oversight came based on the reports we got from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as at August. From that report, it was discovered that third quarter releases were not made available for the MDAs. Even the first and second quarter releases were between the range of 17 to 20 per cent. So as not to take decisions based on assertions we heard as at July to August, we had to go physically and see things for ourselves.
The truth of the matter is that the level of implementation is not encouraging. Though the third quarter release is impressive, most MDAs got four to five times more than they got in the first and second quarter put together in their third quarter. On our oversight visits, we saw places where contracts were to be awarded but because there is no money, that could not take place but I hope the fourth quarter release will be encouraging just like the third quarter so that we could have above average performance.
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The Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has come out to say that the National Assembly is simply playing to the gallery on its stance on budget implementation. What is your take?
Okupe is entitled to his opinion but by saying that 469 elected legislators who went round the country to oversight the capital budget appropriated in the 2012 budget are playing to the gallery. Don’t Nigerians know that the roads have not been done? Don’t Nigerians ply Abuja-Lokoja road? The road had been awarded since 2006, are they not aware that there is provision for 2012 that has not been released? To me, Okupe is the one playing to the gallery. Okupe wants to justify his pay.
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What is your assessment of the 2013 budget estimate presently before both chambers of the National Assembly?
The fiscal policies are very good if they can be adhered to. Economy grows when there is production. Demand must meet supply. If you don’t have supply, demand becomes ineffective and when demand becomes ineffective, industries close down; I just pray that it works.
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Again, security has taken a large chunk of the 2013 budget estimate has past allocations met expected outcomes?
The present budget has almost a trillion naira appropriated, so by implication, it is a downward review. Education is the single highest, but reasonably, I cannot sit down here and begin to criticize the amount to security because how do you buy life? How much can you pay for one life? We should be thinking that will this money be put to effective use to get the kind of result? I must be sincere; it is not as bad as it used to be. I don’t have enough parameters to measure but I think the rate at which I hear certain things, especially the Boko Haram monster is not as what it used to be. So, we must do everything to encourage the government.
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Going by general assessment, the 2012 budget has been poorly implemented. What happens to the reported impeachment threat issued to Jonathan against this backdrop?
Let me correct one thing. The House never took a resolution to embark on impeachment process if the budget is not implemented by 100 per cent. The House resolution was that Mr. President call on the Minister of Finance to make releases as at when due but in the course of contributions, somebody said that we know what we ought to do and we have the power to do this thing but it was not a House resolution. A resolution means it was put to vote. In fact, somebody raised a point of order on that comment and the person who made that comment was ruled out of order and the point of order was sustained. But that does not mean that the House is happy with the implementation.
The release in third quarter was impressive and by implication, it means that the motion triggered better releases. So, if the fourth release is reasonable, if you get 70, 80 per cent, it is a step in the right direction and I am very sure that this House is a responsible House and it will not hold Nigerians to ransom for the offense of the executive. Don’t forget that this is the first time the budget will come in October, so by implication, the executive have shown some sense of responsibility in making sure that budget starts by January 1.
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As an economist by training, how will you access Jonathan’s economic team?
The president is not an economist and maybe my privilege of being an economist makes me excuse him. But let’s not forget that the buck stops at the president’s table. Jonathan’s economic team has failed and if the president wants to achieve the transformation agenda he has set for himself, he should tinker with the economic team and then he will get results.
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Kogi state where you come from has lately been ravaged by floods. In view of its strategic location, experts have predicted that the floods may come again next year. Apart from creating emergency routes, people have called for different palliative measures including re-designing the road and so on, what is your take on that?
I am taking my time to study the situation but I have already gathered some information that is fundamental. There ought to be two buffer dams along that channel which is supposed to take care of this kind of situation. It is not that it wasn’t envisaged but we refused to plan. It is not just about the roads, even if the road is constructed and finished and you don’t take care of that water, the water will still come. So, it goes beyond the road. The federal government should sincerely and genuinely commit resources into studying the situation and come out with long term solutions. We are used to fire brigade approach. You don’t fight water with kid glove. One of the first motions I did as a honorable member was on that road. How can you start a project in 2006 and it is still epileptic in 2012? I know that no reasonable organization or government commits to do a project without counting the cost. It is disheartening that from last year till now, a project that should run for about N30 billion, we put N2 to N3 billion on it. I must be very sincere to you, I have gone to the works minister and written and I want to appeal to you men of the press to help in hitting this spot continuously. You can imagine an investor who wants to come to Abuja from Lagos and chooses to travel by road for sight-seeing and that is the experience of Nigeria that you show him. In the 2013 budget, we will do what is needful on Abuja-Lokoja road. I am convinced that the leadership of the National Assembly is in tune with this position.
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What is your assessment of Governor Idris Wada’s administration in Kogi state?
I will say for now that he is just settling down, he is just building the foundation blocks and what have you. Within the past six months, I think he has faced over seven court issues, so I will not be fair if I am assessing at the level. I will say that the blocks are being laid and he will come up with something that is encouraging because I can see the passion in him.
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