Works, education get 2010 budget's largest share

The 2010 budget proposals presented to the National Assembly on Tuesday, assigned the largest total allocation to the Ministries of Works and Housing and that of Education, although funds planned for fresh projects in education, remain among the lowest.

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Abba Aji, presented the documents separately to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, after both chambers could not agree on the venue for a joint sitting earlier billed for last Thursday.

Both chambers had earlier held executive sessions yesterday morning and reopened after about one hour to admit the president's special adviser to the chambers for his presentation. This was after they had suspended the legislative standing rules which give such a privilege to the president alone.

President's letter

In a letter sent in by President Umaru Yar'adua and read by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, the president said he delegated his adviser, Mr. Aji, to handle the presentation because section 81 of the constitution empowers him to do so.

On behalf of the president, Mr. Aji presented a budget of N4.079 trillion to the Senate first at about 11.30am, and then the House, at exactly 12.10pm. He made no remarks at the presentations, as the constitution did not allow him to do so. The constitution also barred him from entering the chambers with an entourage. But he was accompanied to the Senate by an official and five in the House. The members protested against that but later allowed the president's aide as a former Senator.

The president's spending proposals allots N2.011 trillion for recurrent expenditure, while the balance N1.370 trillion, is meant for capital projects, or development projects.

The ministries of Works and Housing, Education, Defence, Police and Health received the largest total allocations in that order. These involve the recurrent spending which is intended to cater for the various costs of administration, personnel and contributions for the Ministries,

Departments and Agencies. The capital allocation which targets fresh developmental projects, gave the largest allocations to the ministries of Works, Power, Transport, Federal Capital Territory and Agriculture.

Education share still below expectation

The education sector, though one of the largest total recipients, has just 6.2 per cent of the total budget, while its capital allocation is earmarked by the president to be 4.1 per cent of the total as well. In 2009, which witnessed one of the most restive periods in the education sector, with university and secondary schools teachers embarking on repeated strikes, the sector had the largest total allocation and one of the lowest for capital allocations.

The 6.2 per cent mark is still far below the recommended benchmark of 26 per cent by the United Nations which many academics have clamoured for in the past. The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ukachukwu Awuzie, yesterday did not respond to calls requesting for his comment on the president's proposal for education.

Besides Works, Power, Agriculture and Transport, the Federal Capital Territory Administration surprisingly is given more funds than education for capital projects. The FCTA has N124.1 billion while education has N53.7 billion.

The current budget has come under severe criticism of under-performance with the executive arm of government and the National Assembly giving varied ratings of performance. Recently, during a public hearing in the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, said figures from the MDAs could allow such ratings as at November to be fixed at 50 per cent.

Tuesday's presentation would have afforded many the opportunity to have Mr. Yar'Adua's appraisal of the budget performance. However, while the presentation was taking place yesterday, the president was away for treatment in Saudi Arabia.

The House carried out the first reading of the appropriation bill on Tuesday and the second reading is scheduled for wednesday, in an attempt to give the bill a prompt approval and passage. The Senate's first reading will hold today as well.