9 November 2020
Young Progressives Party (YPP), Cross River State Chapter received the proposed budget for 2021 fiscal year with mixed feelings. On the positive side is the sharp and unprecedented slide in the budgetary figures from the usual fairytale, phantom and unrealistic budget to a relatively realistic one. We commend His Excellency, Senator Prof Ben Ayade for cutting the budget by about 80%, from over one trillion naira to 277,708,000,000 naira.
Conversely, we are bothered about the impication of the shift in the focus of his administration from an ambitious industrial drive to what he refers to as the 'humanitarian perspective'.
According to Ayade, because of the cummulative impact of the disaster that characterises 2020, "I decided along with my executive council after due consultation that the budget of this year will focus more on the humanitarian perspective.
He added that, "we have decided to shift focus from infrastructure , from big projects and refocus on the people. So this is the people's budget, a budget that for the first time we are shifting from infrastructure, from major projects, from all the big dreams and projects that can actually create opportunity to focus on the very essence of existence, hunger and poverty".
While we appreciate his new thinking based on current realities, the questions before every discerning Cross Riverian are; what happens to his over hyped signature projects like the 260 km Superhighway, the Bakassi Deep Sea Port, the Spaghetti flyover and others? What happens to the billions he is alleged to have spent already on these projects? What also happens to the land he forcefully confiscated from peasant farmers without compensation?
Recall that since the inception of his administration, Governor Ben has consistently paid deaf ears to legacy projects of his predecessors with Tinapa and Obudu Cattle Ranch as conspicuous examples. Assuming but not conceding that his signature projects are abandoned what are the chances that his predecessors will be willing to complete his noble dream?
Our greatest fear is that despite all the ominous signs and financial realities Governor Ben Ayade insisted on pursuing white elephant projects which are most likely going to increase the number of abandoned projects in the State. With barely two and a half years to the end of his administration, it is almost certain that Cross River State is going to emerge as the State with the most expensive abandoned projects in Africa. Projects like the Superhighway, Deep Sea Port, Spaghetti flyover, Obudu International Cargo Airport, Calas Vegas, and a host of others are definitely not going to see the light of day despite gulping billions of naira. Worse still is the fact that about 20 other projects including, Clapham, Calachika, Ikom Cocoa Processing Factory, Ogoja Rice Factory, West African Fabrication Academy, a.k a Palliative warehouse and other industries are at various stages of completion without any realistic programmes and time frame for eventual operation.
It is also noteworthy that even the current budgetary estimate is largely hinged on a wild financial assumption given the dwindling financial status of the State. Recall that few days ago, Chief Press Secretary in his avalanche of press releases announced that the State received less than six hundred million naira as Federal allocation for the month of October. With an unstable internally generated revenue, it is doubtful that the State can fund up to 30% of the 2021 budget.
Another glaring loophole in the budget is the appropriation of a whooping 192 billion naira representing 69% as recurrent expenditure when in reality, the State cannot boast of half of that amount to fund the entire budget. What that means is that the State may end up spending whatever is realised to fund recurrent expenditure and nothing will be left for capital expenditure.
In the light of the forgoing, it is obvious that the State has in the past over five years progressed in error and we should be prepared now more than before to pay dearly for it. If nothing is done in the direction of completing and putting these projects to use before the end of the tenure of Governor Ben Ayade, the State will unavoidable gain a spot in Guinness World Record as the international headquarters of abandoned projects.
Comrade Anthony Bissong Attah
State Chairman (Chief Servant)
Young Progressives Party (YPP) CRS.
