NLC demands to know how National Assembly spent N600b budget

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Thursday requested for the details of National Assembly budget worth about N600 billion from 2011 till date.

The NLC said up till date the budget of the parliament had been shrouded in secrecy.

The members of the NLC, who stormed the National Assembly on the platform of a courtesy visit to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, lamented what it called the gradual increase of the National Assembly budget from N66.488 billion to a shocking N104.825 billion in 2008, before dropping marginally to N96.052 billion in 2009.

By 2010, it skyrocketed to unprecedented level, standing at about N154.2 billion.

It was gathered from 2011 to 2014, the National Assembly budget was pegged at ‎N150 billion.

It was reduced to N115 billion in 2015.

The President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, told Saraki: “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.”

Wabba lamented that efforts made to get the details of the National Assembly budget were resisted by the former President of the Senate, David Mark‎.

The NLC president implored the lawmakers to strengthen the anti-corruption law that would deal with any public official that mismanages public funds.

Ayuba also demanded for the 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.

— NLC demands to know how National Assembly spent N600b budget

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Thursday requested for the details of National Assembly budget worth about N600 billion from 2011 till date.

The NLC said up till date the budget of the parliament had been shrouded in secrecy.

The members of the NLC, who stormed the National Assembly on the platform of a courtesy visit to the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, lamented what it called the gradual increase of the National Assembly budget from N66.488 billion to a shocking N104.825 billion in 2008, before dropping marginally to N96.052 billion in 2009.

By 2010, it skyrocketed to unprecedented level, standing at about N154.2 billion.

It was gathered from 2011 to 2014, the National Assembly budget was pegged at ‎N150 billion.

It was reduced to N115 billion in 2015.

The President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, told Saraki: “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.”

Wabba lamented that efforts made to get the details of the National Assembly budget were resisted by the former President of the Senate, David Mark‎.

The NLC president implored the lawmakers to strengthen the anti-corruption law that would deal with any public official that mismanages public funds.

Ayuba also demanded for the 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.

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