Budget 2014 Series: A Hostage Of An Overheated Polity

[Shola Sholaz]

Even if the political tsunami, the defection of five PDP governors to APC, had not occurred, getting. 2014 Budget passed, without protracted rancour, and before March next year, would have been close to a mission impossible. But, with the latest political developments, next year's budget had suddenly become one of the possible hostages or victims of the overheated polity.
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In the preview to the 2014 Budget, published last week, the point had been made that the 2014 Budget is being presented to the most hostile National Assembly ever faced by a President since 1999. Permit me to recall part of that article.
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"On the 2014 Budget, Jonathan is not assured of many followers in the NASS. The coalition of forces which brought President Jonathan into office. in 2011 has been melting, slowly but surely, like butter left out in the scourging sun. The President no longer enjoys the support of all the PDP lawmakers in both houses of the National Assembly; meanwhile, the opposition, hitherto, working independently, has fused into a solid block." Even the most incurable pessimist about the fate of Nigeria and the 2014 Budget could not have predicted how quickly the President's support in the NASS would crumble. The article reached the Sunday Editor just a day before five PDP governors jumped ship to the APC – and most are poised to take their states' legislators with them. Or, at least a substantial number of them. All the political calculations point to the possibility that the opposition will constitute a clear majority in the House of Representatives; and, perhaps, in the Senate as well. If they succeed in "capturing" the NASS, the current leaders – Senate President and Speaker as well as other leaders of parliament – will have only two options available to them – go down out of loyalty to Jonathan, or, decamp and join the rebels. It is the devil's choice for them. The closest thing in our history to this political mess shaping up occurred in the old Western Region, in 1963, precisely 50 years ago,when Premier Akintola defied his party leader and refused to step down as ordered.
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After briefly closing down the Western House of Assembly, Akintola reached an accord with the leader of opposition, Chief Fani-Kayode — father of the current political gadfly bearing the same name. With renegade Action Group members, most of them induced by promise of appointment to high office, Akintola seized power from Awolowo in the West and inadvertently set in motion the series of political upheavals which culminated in the first military coup of 1966.

[femifemzy3]

Let us just ensure we put God first in anything we do in this country. Our politicians most especially need our prayers and deliverance.

[EbukaOkafor14]

Budget is important to a country like Nigeria. It has to be done properly to achieve the best Result