APC: Recovered loot will be injected into budget

The All Progressives Congress (APC) says loot recovered from officials of the past administration will be “injected” into the N6.08 trillion budget, which President Muhammadu Buhari presented to a joint-session of the national assembly on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by Edegbe Odemwingie, the party’s assistant director publicity, John Oyegun, APC chairman, was quoted as saying many of the promises made to the electorate during the 2015 presidential campaign were contained in the proposed budget.

The statement said the current administration’s pro-people policies would be implemented in the 2016 financial year.

“In fulfillment of APC’s election promises to the Nigerian electorate, the party welcomes the proposed social welfare programmes contained in the proposed 2016 national budget submitted to the national assembly,” the statement read.

”President Buhari has proposed N500 billion to pay unemployed Nigerian graduates (post-NYSC grant) and feed school children, among other social welfare programmes in 2016.

“A phased social welfare programme created to cater for a larger population of the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians upon the evidence of children’s enrollment in school and evidence of immunisation has also been proposed to the national assembly.

“President Buhari has also promised that 500,000 new teachers would be recruited. Compared to the last 16 years, Nigerians are getting a much better deal from the seven-month old APC-led administration.

“On the strength of these proposals, the future holds more dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

“It is reassuring that the federal government has recovered huge sums from looters of our common wealth, which will be injected into the 2016 national budget.”

The statement called for a speedy passage of the proposed budget and urged the national assembly to rise above political, regional and ethnic sentiments in the best interest of Nigeria.