THE Federal Government has described former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s comments on the economic policy of President Goodluck Jonathan as misleading.
The Minister of Finance, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, who briefed journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, said the former vice-president’s comments were based on ignorance.
Reponding to Abubakar‘s criticism after the meeting presided over by Jonathan, Aganga said, “It is always difficult to shoot from the dark. So, it is always important to have the right information.”
The minister added that Abubakar was playing politics with the country’s economy.
Both Abubakar and Jonathan are presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The former vice-president had, at a news conference on Tuesday, alleged that Jonathan was mismanaging the economy of the country.
He said that the excess crude oil account had been depleted, adding that the country’s budget was not being implemented.
Aganga said that it was disheartening to note that a senior citizen like Abubakar could easily rush to conclusion about the economy when he ought to know better.
Aganga, therefore, warned that it was dangerous to play politics with the state of the economy.
The minister said the recurrent expenditure content of the budget had achieved 100 per cent implementation, adding that N750bn of the capital expenditure had so far been released.
According to him, government aims to ensure the release of N900bn by the end of the 2010 financial year.
He said, “Budget implementation means different things to different people. When you look at the expenditure side, as of date, we have implemented the recurrent part of it, 100 per cent.
“On the capital side, we have declared at least N750bn. We expect it to be N900bn, if not more by the end of the year. We are still implementing the budget. And at that level, in absolute numbers, is the highest we have had for the last five years.”
He stated that the Federal Government had in the last few months been settling legacy issues.
These, he stated, included the payment of N200bn to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and N387bn, representing 53 per cent salary increase to civil servants.
Aganga added that the government had released N87.7bn to the Independent National Electoral Commission in preparation for the 2011 general elections.
He also said, “The second point on the recurrent expenditure is that if you look at what this government has done, we have approached and attacked all legacy issues, difficult issues for previous governments.
“For example, we made a provision for the N200bn for PHCN staff, this is to do with legacy issues, arrears, monetisation issues that we have had for over seven years.
Aganga said that the government was concerned about the quality and efficiency of spending.
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