24th July, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Thursday asked the leadership of the National Assembly to account for how it has spent about N600 billion that has been allocated to it from 2011 to date during a courtesy call on Dr Olubukola Saraki, the President of the Senate.
While lamenting that the budget of the National Assembly has remained shrouded in secrecy, members of NLC led by Ayuba Wabba, the President of the Congress noted that Nigerians want to know how the lawmakers have been spending the humongous sum allocated to them yearly.
Ayuba lamented that the budget of the National Assembly had increased from N66.488 billion to N104.825 billion in 2008, before dropping marginally to N96.052 billion in 2009. He however noted that the budget skyrocketed to N154.2 billion in 2010.
He recalled that the National Assembly budget was pegged at N150 billion from 2011 to 2014, before it was reduced to N115 billion in 2015.
“Nigerians are concerned and want explanations on how the National Assembly budget, which in 2003 was N23.347 billion, rose to N66.488 billion in 2007 and then climbed to N104.825 billion in 2008.
“In 2010, Your Excellency, under the watch of your predecessor, the budget of the National Assembly reached an all time record jump to N154.2 billion.
“To compound the problem of comprehension, your predecessors, obviously working with your colleagues in the Red and Green Chambers, wrapped your earning and expenditure in utmost secrecy.
“And by 2011, the details of the National Assembly budget were no longer accessible, having used your legislative powers to move it into first-line charge on the Federation Account like the Judiciary, Independent National Electoral Commission, Universal Basic Education and the Niger Delta Development Commission in 2007.
“By 2011, all that appeared under the National Assembly budget was N150 billion without any breakdown.”
The NLC President who asked the National Assembly to strengthen anti-corruption laws to deal with any public official who stole government funds noted that efforts made to get the details of the National Assembly budget were resisted by the former President of the Senate, David Mark.
He also asked for an increase in the minimum wage of civil servants of the country because the current minimum wage is no more enough for Nigerian workers to meet their daily needs.