Abuja – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Ayuba Wabba, on Sunday in Abuja called for total review of budgeting system in the country, saying that the current process was outdated.
Wabba made the call when he featured on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.
“We have said importantly that our process of budget making is faulty and therefore, it needs to be reviewed totally; we have sent very clear signals; it has to start early.
“In South Africa, the budget is subjected to public debates; the details will be made public; people will come in for public hearing.
“If you are doing road, they ask you why you are doing road from A to B instead of this road; they will look at the importance of the project to the people and how basic it is; why people need to support it.
“There will be a very good debate, there will be input from organised labour and that is what I think we should do now.’’
He said that since the present administration won the election on the change mantra, the need to change the budgeting process was imperative to avoid a situation where individuals would continue to be blamed.
“If they will want to bring about change, it is also to change the process. By changing the process, it means, let it go to the people; service is about the people.
“If you want to do a railway from point A to B, you will tell me the reason and we will interrogate and people will support it.
“When people support it, it is then that they will own the project and therefore, it will be beneficial to them.’’
The NLC president that organised labour would continue to engage the Federal Government on policies and programmes that would benefit the people.
On other efforts to support the Federal Government agenda, he said that the congress had overtime campaigned for good governance and the fight against corruption.
He said that the union had made specific recommendations on how best to institutionalise good governance in the country.
“We also came up with recommendations of some laws that need to be reviewed such as having a specialised court that will actually address the issue of corruption.
“We also said that the issue of the immunity clause should be reviewed not only on criminal cases but also for civil cases as this is the trend globally.
“Just like the case of South Africa recently, where the president was made to face criminal charges of corruption.’’
He said that NLC had also called for the diversification of the economy, provision of stable power supply, water, among others to drive development in the country.
“So, where policies need to be interrogated, we have to continue to do that to defend the interest of the workers,’’ Wabba added. (NAN)
