The Press Conference held by one Anti-Corruption Network led by Senator Dino Melaye on the budgeting System in Nigeria on 18th November, 2021 is laughable to say the least.
As patriotic, decent and responsible Civil Society Organization, we have painstakingly studied the statement and observed deliberate inaccuracies borne out of the usual pent-up prejudice against the House Committee on Finance in the House of Representatives and Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS).
We have invariably concluded that rather than make any sense, the purveyor of the statement merely succeeded in exposing his stack ignorance of budget passage in the National Assembly due to entrenched political bias that blinds him to the truth.
The budget in question, submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Finance by the Federal Inland Revenue service has yet to be approved, which means a critical review of the budget is currently going on by the House committee as is the usual practice in the past as well.
It is surprising that a former Law maker of Dino Melaye’s standard would go to such cheap lengths to blackmail over a budget that has not been passed by the House.
We understand the former Lawmaker has been subjected to frustrations due to how he was kicked out of the Senate which has affected his view and contributions to national issues.
But should that becloud his sense of judgement?
On our part, we have always monitored the strict compliance of the House Committee on Finance to Budgetary processes and has no doubt as to the Committee’s sense of patriotism and fairness.
It is important to educate those who have no other vocation than to attack the efforts of the House Committee On Finance and FIRS that no matter how hard they try, they cannot succeed because truth and integrity are constant.
Signed
Comrade Hussein Muhammad
General Secretary
Conscience Nigeria
21st November 2021