Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has expressed its readiness to work out a monitoring strategy that would ensure effective implementation of the 2020 budget, while also curbing corruption, diversions and wastages.
The Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, in a statement yesterday said Nigerians had placed confidence in the opposition for solution and directed opposition lawmakers to braced up to ensure that budgetary provisions, especially those that have direct bearing to the wellbeing of the masses, were all implemented
He said the opposition caucus would step up its oversight activities to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of the N10.59 trillion budget for 2020 fiscal year.
“Part of the implementation monitoring strategy is to stimulate citizen’s ownership of budgetary project by carrying the people along through free flow of information, especially on siting, size, utility, cost, releases and job execution progress.
“Consequently, the minority leader has directed all opposition lawmakers to insist on intensified budget oversight in their respective committees to guarantee transparency and strict compliance to expenditure items, figures and location, as passed,” he stated.
Elumelu assured the people that the opposition would not relent but redouble its efforts in protecting their interest while constructively disallowing any programme and policy inimical to the health of the nation.
He therefore called on all lawmakers to ensure effective and timely implementation of constituency projects in line with their avowed commitment to the people.He also urged ministries and agencies to exert their implementation capacity to ensure that all funds released to them are fully utilised and accounted for.
Elumelu also cautioned ministries, departments and agencies, particularly revenue-generating agencies, to bear in mind that Nigerians are already economically stressed and as such should develop more efficacious wealth-creating strategies that do not place more burden on the citizens.
