By Tordue Salem
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to present a budget proposal for 2011 before a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday, next week.

The presentation may be preceded by the Commissioning of the Federal Budget Research and Monitoring Office at the National Assembly. The office is expected to be a legislative equivalent of the Budget Office at the Presidency.

The President will be laying the 2011 estimates, several weeks behind the statutory schedule. According to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework of Government ought to be laid in the second quarter (June), while budget proposals for the next fiscal year must be presented in September of every year.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Usman Bayero Nafada, who disclosed the intention of the President on the floor of the National Assembly, Wednesday, advised his colleagues to brace up on the legislative budget office, because, “As you are aware, the President may likely present the 2011 budget next week”.

As a fresh budget is imminent, it can be sadly noted that up to now, only 30 per cent of the 2010 budget is implemented by the Executive.

The poor level of implementation is against the back drop of dismal legislative oversight, red tape at the Budget and Public Procurement Office and the Finance Ministry at the Presidency.

Several cases of negligence of their oversight functions as stipulated by section 88 of the 1999 Constitution, have resulted in ministries and agencies of government mortgaging the well being of a majority of Nigerians whose fate is tied to the budget.

The National Assembly, has also failed, despite public appeals to demand that Government’s fiscal plans be laid bare for public assessment and input, at least three months to presentation at the National Assembly.

The Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre, CIRDDOC, Nigeria and other civil rights agencies had just last week, rated Nigeria below Liberia and Ghana on transparent and effective budgeting.

The Executive Director of CIRDDOC, Mrs. Oby Nwankwo who anchored a research of 85 countries’ budgeting system, stated that “The findings of the 2010 Survey are based on collected and verified information”.