A Port Harcourt-based economist, Prof. Ayodele Momodu has called for a collaboration between the federal and state governments in budgeting and planning system for effective and efficient service delivery.
Momodu, a Senior Lecturer in the Banking and Finance Department, Rivers State University, who made the call in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said that such synergy would bring about harmonisation of government’s programmes and policies at both levels.
He observed that policy duplication and wastages were often as a result of separate budgeting and planning systems within both tiers of governments.
“I am expecting to see the day when the needs of the federal and state governments will be harmonised for implementation.
“Achieving this harmony will ensure efficient deployment of funds and promote commitment in programme implementation,’’ he said.
The lecturer urged Nigerians not to be too excited about the recent pronouncement that the nation was officially out of recession.
Momodu said that the indices showing Nigeria’s exit from recession were still very infinitesimal.
“Let us wait for the third quarter statistics.
“If we were below zero and now above zero, it means we are going out of recession; we need further statistical analysis before we can say we are on the move,’’ he said.
He said that some macro-economic indicators such as unemployment, total output and gross domestic product were still not very encouraging.