If the Muhammadu Buhari government was fighting corruption in truth and not by mere words, there’d be enough funds to govern the country without begging for loans, federal lawmaker Muhammed Gudaji Kazaure says.
Kazaure, who represents Jigawa’s Kazaure constituency at the House of Representatives, made the comments following Buhari’s presentation of the 2022 budget estimates to a joint session of the National Assembly.
President Buhari, last Thursday, presented a proposal of N16.39 trillion, adding that the government would have to borrow to shore up N6 trillion in deficit.
Kazauere disagrees.
“It’s an embarrassment,” the Jigawa lawmaker said.
WATCH: Lawmaker laments over 2022 budget, borrowing, corruption
“If you look at the budget presentation, look at the debt servicing. The debt servicing is almost above the capital. We are talking about over N3 trillion.
“For the past 16 or even 25 years, Nigeria’s monies have been looted and stashed away. Some even bury the cash like they bury dead people in the graveyard. Some carry the loot abroad.
“Why can’t the government set up a strong interrogation and investigating team to probe these people and bring back our money? We have to stop borrowing because we don’t know tomorrow.
“The former petroleum minister (Diezani Alison-Madueke) went away with $60 billion. That is five years’ budget. A real investigation will expose thousands of looters like her.
“If we investigate, we can spend the next 20 years without borrowing. We will simply implement the budget with the recovered loots.
“This government say it is fighting corruption but I can’t see any evidence of that. We say we are fighting corruption but we are moving very slowly. We are fighting by mouth,” Kazauere said.
