Senate decries low budget for agric, says it reflects no change

Dr. Bukola Saraki.

As reading of the 2016 budget passed the second reading, the upper chambers of the National Assembly has criticized the less priority given to agriculture

saying it did not reflect the promises of using non oil sector to recover the falling crude oil price in the international market just as it was argued that clear direction for women’ plights were not identified.

The senators expressed that the allocation for the non  oil sectors of agriculture and solid minerals was grossly inadequate added that the 2016 budget did not reflect the promises of using sectors as alternative sources of economic diversification from mono crude oil to other viable ones.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha said that “As a country we are playing lip service to agriculture, everybody talk about diversification of the economy but when it comes to putting into practice, it now becomes problem throughout the 7^th senate, we did not achieve the  3.5% of the  total National budget for the sector”

Another senator said “this budget is like a working corps and we must find a way to give it a medical surgery. We talk about diversification of the economy, from crude oil to Agriculture and solid minerals but yet if you look at the 2015 budget, the allocation for agriculture and that of 2016 is almost the same. And this is a sector which you want to use to diversify the economy”

However Senator Oluremi Tunubu took a swipe on the budget saying that priority was not given to the women’ issues despite their roles in the 2015 election saying she would not agree for women to be used and dumped.

According to Sen. Tinubu “this did not go down well with us, so the women are just used and several promises are made to them. If not, you are going to incur the wrath of the Nigerian women, so on behalf of Nigeria, I am making a case for them today that this budget is not fulfilling the promises to the women.

It would the noted that women are very strategic to small scale businesses that keeps the running of the micro economies especially in agriculture and many others which are very important in the taking care of the home fronts of many Nigerians.