From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Foremost Pan African Students Movement, The Progressive Students Movement PSM Nigeria Chapter, has urged President Bola Tinubu, the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio and the speaker of the green chamber, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas to immediately revisit Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) 2023 budget.
According to the statement signed by President PSM NIG, Amb Bestman Okereafor , said “Info at our disposal reveals that inflated budget was presented to the joint session of the Senate and House Committee on Communications during the budget defence held on Monday, 21st November, 2022.
“As progressives we strongly believe that era of gross abuse of power , budget padding and impunity is over, especially with the assurance of a renewed hope by the present administration of the capable and amiable leadership of Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and in lieu of this we are passionately appealing to Mr President, the Senate President of the 10th assembly Distinguished Sen God’swill Akpabio and the hon speaker of the house of reps Rt Hon Tajudeen Abass , to kindly consider revisiting and reviewing the NCC 2023 budget presented to and approved by the 9th assembly
“We are not unaware that budget padding is not new to the Nigeria system and it’s toxicity has brought our economy to where it is today. Just in one fiscal year, billions of Naira was added to the budget proposal, despite the fact our beloved country is in a deep financial dilemma and an economic quandary to the point that the nation cannot afford to subsidize fuel anymore and as a result, prices of everything have skyrocketed, including school fees and other fees.
“Analysis of the controversial NCC 2023 budget in need of review showed that President Muhammadu Buhari in the letter sent to both Senate and the House of Representatives requested for the approval of total sum of N553,720,192,000 for the NCC, while it miraculously got an approval of N559,080,711,000.
“Further informations at our disposal reveals that the Federal Ministry of Finance,Budget and National Planning nor Budget Office of the Federation were in the know of the arbitrary increase of N5,360,519,000 in the 2023 budget for Nigerian Communications Commission.
“Finally we shall consider engaging the immediate Past NCC executive secretary Prof Danbatta who presented the said budget, basically for him to vividly explain the miracle behind the budget inflation of the commission’s 2023 budget, even as we shall not hesitate to protest a perceived embezzlement of our national common wealth by some selected few, and equally call on appropriate authorities to equally investigate the commission.”
