Melaye: No need to borrow funds for ‘boju boju’ 2018 budget

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, has described the 2018 budget as ‘boju boju’, saying there is no need to borrow funds for it.

‘Boju boju’ is a Yoruba word for something which is not transparent.

Speaking at plenary on Tuesday, the lawmaker wondered why the federal government had plans to borrow when some agencies were “keeping untilised funds”.

He charged his colleagues to ensure that the budget is implemented.

“There is no relationship between 2017 and 2018 budget. There is an outstanding of over N1.1 billion stamp duty that have not been remitted into federation account yet he took and Eurobond of $5.5 billion we won’t need that if these funds were remitted,” Melaye said.

“NNPC is supposed to pay over N300 million into the federation account, no kobo was paid by NNPC in 2016, none was paid in 2017 and we say we are fighting corruption.

“It is time for this senate to ask principal agents of government that are keeping government money so that it be put in the consolidated revenue. Why are we borrowing when we have money scattered in agencies.

“Enough is enough, we must make sure that the 2017 budget is implemented.

“It is our responsibility to convert this ‘boju boju’ budget to a budget that will be accepted in the margins of this country because hunger has no political and all of us go to the same market.”