POLITICS WITHOUT ETHICS: Governor Ayade’s “Deep Vision” Budget is a Fraud.

Ifere Paul|4 November 2015|4:36am

In my last article I wrote about "Ayade and his ministries, commissioners, cost of governance, and inefficiency". While I was writing that article, the governor presented his budget of "deep vision".

I recognized the deep vision of the budget because Ayade tried to cut down on recurrent expenditures
and was focusing more on capital expenditures. Even though I acknowledged the budget, I still
presented a faint believe on the nature the budget was developed and then felt I needed to look for
answers on how Ayade came to make and deliver a budget without a budget breakdown. I also found it
worrisome on the way and manner he hurriedly approached the CRSHA to present a budget without
constituting an Executive or consulting with Permanent Secretaries of the various MDAs.
I found it way out of order that the patience to inaugurate an Executive Council before the budget
presentation was yet not followed.

It is a due practice in Cross River State to have our budget worked on by various EXCO members. Inputs on budgetary allocation have always followed the same precedence world over. I wonder why HE will want to alter our course of history in budgeting for the State without contributions from MDAs, but by his personal efforts and a few advisers. Such behavior is not in the best interest of the State.

It is normal practice that MDAs usually present a fiscal budget to the governor. Subsequently, the governor will call for budget defense. At the defense, commissioners and directors will breakdown their budgets to the governor which usually reflects proposed projects expenses and timelines. The governor will appraise by either subtracting or adding. The overall contributions of MDAs budgets, often makes the bulk of the budget presentation by governors to the State Houses of Assembly.

My investigation into whether MDAs contributed to Ayade's budget reveal that not a single Permanent
Secretary, or Directors of various Departments, and Agencies in CRS were contacted for inputs into the
"deep vision budget". How deep is the vision of the budget when key issues from MDAs have not been
incorporated into the budget? How deep is the vision budget when no one knows how much the newly created ministries will gulp the State?

Perhaps the whole vision is built on fraud. And that was why the governor was unable to present a
budget breakdown. And why was there the need to rush the budget when after a few days before the
budget presentation, HE had already reviewed the 2015 budget? Perhaps budget experts can explain more.

Information available during my investigation revealed that Governor Ayade, the Chief Economic Adviser, and Special Adviser on Budget to the governor generated the 2016 budget that was presented to the CRSHA. The budget has not captured any proposals from MDAs. This means that, like I have earlier postulated, Ayade is out to take the functions of overall Comptroller General of the State and Ministries functions.

If this is the case, then the commissioners-designates will be
contending with a jingoist whose overriding influence can be equated to the German Czar -Adolf Hitler.
From all indications, this budget did not follow due process. It is illegal and fraudulent.

Ifere Paul
Is an Environmental Right Activist/Public Policy Analyst.