Presidency reassures Nigerians that Buhari won’t let them down on key promises

The Presidency on Monday again assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari would not let Nigerians down on the key promises he made ahead of the 2015 presidential elections.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this in a statement made available to journalists.

Shehu said the Buhari administration which came to power on the plank of anti-corruption and good governance will live up its promises and commitments regarding those commitments.

Justifying the decision of the government to submit the budget proposals of Ministries, Departments and Agencies to the National Assembly for their consideration, the presidential spokesman said the step was in line with the President’s wish to offer a more accountable and transparent administration.

He described the development as the first under this democracy.

He said, “The laying of budgets for the MDAs, particularly those regarding the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation behemoth in clearly unprecedented.

“The President is determined to make the budgeting more transparent and more participative.

“It is all part of the reengineering of the entire processes of government for the benefit and the welfare of ordinary citizens.”

Shehu quoted the President as saying that good governance is key to the nation’s progress and that transparency is the cornerstone of any government that has the welfare of ordinary citizens as its mantra.

“By responding positively to the demand of the National Assembly that MDA budgets be laid before it for scrutiny, a demand mostly ignored by past administrations, President Buhari has given a clear indication of his commitment to an open, transparent and people-oriented government for Nigerians.

“He has shown that  he is not hiding any secrets. It is equally a mark of respect for the institution of parliament.

“Our hope and expectation is that the National Assembly, acting in the best interest of the nation will allow the immediate operationalisation of the budgets, so that the momentum of growth of the economy which has begun to build up will be sustained,” he said.