THE NATIONAL BUDGETING PROCESS IS FAULTY AND REINFORCES OUR UNDERDEVELOPMENT

As Giant of Africa with the largest economy and population, isn't it curious that we squabble over a meagre $23billion budget when South Africa and Angola with a combined population less than Nigeria each have budgets well over $100billion. Instead of thinking BIG on how to grow the national cake to reflect our size and abilities, we're distracted by misplaced priorities. That's a story for another day.

In my opinion and considered view, the National Assembly and State Assemblies are not supposed to rubber stamp a national budget presented by the executive branch.

Legislators can question the rationale for any project or budgetary allocation as it deems necessary. I also believe legislators can and should lobby to include in the national budget, specific constituency projects targeted at solving specific and unique challenges of the people in their constituencies.

Regardless of other general capital projects proposed by the executive, as representatives of the people, legislators can identify desirable and urgent community projects that'll improve the peoples quality of life and lobby for budgetary allocations for these projects. There is nothing wrong with this practice.

The problem however is lack of cooperation, procedure and execution between the Executive and Legislative branches. This problem can be solved by establishing an Office of Legislative Government Services (OLGS) to aggregate constituency project proposals from legislators and make recommendations to the Executive branch for budget consideration.

All constituency project requests from legislators will be domiciled with the OLGS with specific responsibility to award contracts to execute these projects across the country. No constituency project funded through the national budget should appear in any other Ministry, Department or Agency of government under any guise.

The National Assembly cannot unilaterally cut or increase budgetary allocations presented by the executive branch for projects already planned for. Every budgetary allocation should be considered purely on its merit without the temptation to redistribute resources for "selfish" reasons. Every reallocation or redistribution of resources must be based on patriotic urgent or strategic national priorities and must be done in consultation with the executive branch.

The national budget is the most important national document after the constitution. It determines the direction of our economy and lays out our priorities as a country. Its preparation and execution determines if we succeed or fail as a people.

With this small size of budget and with the slow pace of infrastructural and economic growth, Nigeria will remain a third world underdeveloped country for another 100 years.

But we can change this narrative and we will.

Terseer Ugbor

From Abuja,