2025 budget: NASS happy with performance of its commission
….hopeful N20bn will be released to complete hqrs complex
By Haruna Salami
The Senate has expressed satisfaction with the performance of one of its own parastatals, the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) at the 2025 budget defence of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
National Assembly has three agencies under it: National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Public Complaints Commission (PCC) and National Assembly Service Commission (NASC).
The Chairman of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Establishment and Public Service, Senator Cyril Fasuyi (Ekiti North) and the Co-chairman, Hon. Sani Bala (Tsanyawa Federal Constituency), Kano State, expressed satisfaction when the Executive Chairman of NASC, Engr. Ahmed Khadi Amshi presented the budget performance of 2024 and 2025 proposal.
Amshi had informed the committee that the commission, in overhead costs, had a balance of N44,227, giving a total recorded balance of N90,209, has been returned to sub-treasurer at the closure of account on 31st December.
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In capital, he said there was s a balance of N286.5 million meant for the office building project, which has not been expended.
He explained that since capital budget has been extended to June 2025, “that was why we still have a N286 million there. It’s for office buildings that have not been expended.
According to him, there is N20 billion for the completion of the NASC headquarters project that is supposed to be released to the commission from the National Assembly, which they are still waiting for.
Speaking further on the capital expenditure votes, Amshi said other releases include grants from National Assembly budgets meant for the housing allowance and N10 billion meant for office building and what have been released, both from 2023 and 2024 were included in the budget.
In addition, he said there were allowances that accrued to staff in previous years that were released, including the 25-35% increase and the minimum wage that was released for the payment of staff, which were all included in the releases, adding “that accounts for the money we spent being more than the budget we are given, both personnel and capital”.
The commission requested N2.9 billion personnel cost for 2025.
Speaking with journalists after defending the commission’s budget, Engr. Amshi said he was not surprised that the Joint Committee was very understanding, adding “these are people that we work together almost on a daily basis”.
He said the lawmakers “know our performance, they know what we do, they have been following up on all our activities. So it was easy as we are presenting our budget because they are already aware of what we have been doing all along. We kept them briefed constantly” and thank God that they were impressed with the commission’s performance.
However, Amshi said the headquarters building project “is an area where we really have major concern. We have a provision of some money for completion of the project, which has not been released to us yet. If that money had been released to us, it would have been completed by now. But we thank God the National Assembly has extended the capital budget up to June, and we hope before June ending, this money would have been released and the project completed. We pray for that”.
He said the major legacy he will be proud to leave behind is the “head office building”, which he described as “an edifice” that is better than all the buildings in the National Assembly complex.
He said “once completed, it will be a pride to the National Assembly, not only to the Commission, but to the entire National Assembly. So we really look forward to the completion of that project”
According to him, within the five years period of their tenure, they brought in a number of innovations and reforms into the system and was happy to know that these reforms are yielding results.
“I think these are two major legacies, that I’m happy and delighted to leave behind. Staff are satisfied, moral is high and we have expanded the structure in such a way that many staff were promoted. That is a legacy that we are really proud to leave behind”.
