Despite our signing up to the UN Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, we have yet to assign the right percentages of our National and States Budgets to these targets. For example, education has never gotten its UNESCO-stipulated 26%. Agriculture has been wallowing in low rates, while health has haemorrhaged consistently. The mismatch has been intriguing!
Despite a National Book Development Policy/Project, on which we have obtained foreign loans, aids and grants, the Obasanjo Administration raised import duty on printing paper from 5% to 20% in 2006! The minister of education has admitted that it was an embarrassing mistake that is being corrected. Some observers believe it was meant to stifle both the press and the vocal academic unions. No matter. But it speaks volumes of this out-going administration, in which both the president and vice president are education proprietors!
Is parliament free of blame? Not by a long shot! They appropriate funds. It is clearly a matter for regret that the so-called people's representatives could be so complicit. Yes, there are many standing charges of non/half-hearted-implementation of budgets by the executive, but nothing concrete was done to assert compliance. Afterall, the budgets were encased in laws! The ruling party was simply lawless, period. And this was a recurrent charge during the hot "Third Term" debates in the National Assembly. Belated acrimony...but welcomed.
As we head to 2007, let this issue be a cardinal debate and deliberate subject of contestation. We need to sensitize and conscientize all Nigerians to its sacred, salient and strategic status. Let us hold firm to this core ingredient of democracy and good governance. We should be short-changed no more! No.
Never again!
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