NASS budget stagnant for 13 years, says Speaker
By Tom Okpe
Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep Tajudeen Abbas has disclosed that annual budget of the National Assembly has been stagnant for 13 years despite inflation and attendant consequences.
The Speaker said, that notwithstanding, the expenditure of the federal legislature has gone up within the period, but without the commensurate budgetary provisions to back it up.
Abbas made this disclosure when he received, during a courtesy visit, a delegation from the African Business Roundtable in his office, Abuja.
The Speaker told the delegation, led by the Executive Director, (West Africa) Dotun Ajayi that: “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 budget came down from what it used to be in 2011.”
Abbas further stressed 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, Wednesday, we included Serbia, making it 66,” he said.
“We are with you on this issue, engagements with other parliaments. This is noble. Even before you came, we thought about that.
“I want to assure you that we’ll engage, more with you. This meeting will be a historic one which will be a point of reference in the future. We will pursue it with all the energy we have.”
In his earlier remarks, 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 has 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.
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“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.”
He said the European Union has set aside 20 billion Euros for the Sub-Saharan Africa, noting that, “We want to see a situation where your engagement increases, on what comes to Nigeria.
