By FUNMI KOMOLAFE & SHUAIBU INALEGWU
SENATOR Adamu Galba Talba and the general secretary of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, Comrade Marcus Omokhuale, have disagreed over the Senate decision to slash the education and health budgets of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to fund road projects.
The Senate had last Wednesday approved N6.2 billion cut of the education and health budgets of the FCT to fund the N25 billion expansion work on two major roads in Abuja.
Talba did not see any problem with the parliament’s decision which Omokhuale described as the reason the nation’s health facilities are in deplorable state. The lawmaker and union leader spoke to Sunday Vanguard in separate interviews at the weekend.
The senator said: “I do not think there is any problem with the decision taken by the Senate to approve the money from education and health budgets to fund FCT projects. I say this because of the explanations given by the chairman of Appropriation Committee, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
He told us that the money taken would not affect the two sectors in any way. As such, I think it is appropriate to use the money instead of allowing it to lie fallow till the end of the year, when it will be eventually returned to the federation’s account as unspent budget. So, to me, there is nothing wrong.
Again you have to look at the importance of the road projects to Abuja and the people of Nigeria. So, nothing is too small or too big when you are sacrificing and I think is it a
good decision and we have to support it.”
But Omokhuale said: “The government has made a statement by that action that it has no vision, purpose, direction and the future is bleak. It is a sign of the fact that government is not mindful of the sensitive nature of health and education. That is the reason our health facilities are in a deplorable state.”
God will definitely punish all of them involved in that decision.
ASSU is on strike b’cos of the state of infrastructures in the University. The hospitals in the county are slaughter homes. Niger Delta is like a place where no one have explored.
Why Abuja? every thing goes to Abuja.
Carry on with your madness as the day of re conning is almost at hand. Animals!!
It is not a suprise to me dat dis is comin out from a shameless senator in a non patriotic country, rule by wide beast and devil himself.They shall die of heartattack.by now it should be very clear to all Nigerians that they should neither pray nor ask for God’s mercy or wisdom on any government official because they are fools and devils incanate
It is not a suprise to me dat dis is comin out from a shameless senator in a non patriotic country, rule by wide beast and devil himself.They shall die of heartattack.
It is no big surprise to me that Hon. Senators are very comfortable with thier decision & seek to defend it. They fail to grasp the true opportunity cost of this decision which is the lives that would be lost that otherwise could have been saved & the children who would miss out on an education.
Methinks they do not care, & why should they? When they fly abroad for the simplest ailments & ‘poor’ senators send thier children to private educational institutions.