NASS budget stagnant for 13 years, says Reps speaker

Abuja—Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, said, yesterday, that the annual budget of the National Assembly had been stagnant for 13 years, despite inflation and its attendant consequences.

He said, notwithstanding, the expenditure of the Federal Legislature had gone up within the period, but without commensurate budgetary provisions to back it up.

The proposed supplementary budget is expected to encompass an increment in salaries and allowances for public servants, to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation from African Business Roundtable in Abuja, the speaker said: “Our budget has been stagnant for 13 years, but our expenditure has gone up within the period. In fact, at some points, the National Assembly’s budget came down from what it used to be in 2011.”

Speaking further on work done so far on inter-paliamentary relations, Abbas told the delegation, led by the Executive Director (West Africa), Mr. Dotun Ajayi, that the 10th House had created over 60 parliamentary friendship committees to enhance the relationship between the House and other parliaments across the world.

He said the friendship committees needed support from outside to function efficiently, noting that the House would support any cause that would lead to enhanced relationships with other parliaments.

“I am pleased to inform you that the House has thought about what you’re talking about several months ago. On July 27, we announced membership of 43 parliamentary friendship committees to find ways of improving our relations in terms of business and other aspects with them. Two weeks ago, we increased it from 43 to 65. Just yesterday, we also included Serbia, making it 66.

“We are with you on this issue (engagements with other parliaments). This is noble. Even before you came, we thought about that.

Earlier in his remarks, leader of the delegation, Ajayi said the recent coup in Niger Republic brought a new dimension to the engagements between some European countries and West Africa.

He noted that Niger Republic had problems with only France in Europe, whereas the French government was planning to cut all forms of assistance to West Africa due to the coup.

“The President has been playing some roles behind the scene on this. The parliament needs to be seen to work with him on this. Our Parliament should engage the French Parliament and the EU,” Ajayi said.

He noted that the European Union had set aside 20 billion Euros for Sub-saharan Africa, adding that “we want to see a situation where your engagement increases what comes to Nigeria.