National assembly needs more funds, says Tambuwal

Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state, says the national assembly needs more funds to be able to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

The governor said this while delivering a lecture at the second convocation and awards ceremony of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Abuja.

The former speaker of the house of representatives said his argument might be unpopular, but in as much Nigeria operates a presidential system of government, the funding of the national assembly remained meager.

The governor added that for the committees of the national assembly to work effectively, more money must be allocated.

“The constitutional responsibilities of the national assembly are enormous, especially in the areas of law making and oversight. Adequate financial resources are required for the assembly to be able to discharge these responsibilities effectively in line with public expectations,” the governor said.

“A study by NILDS observed funding gaps in critical areas of committee activities including meetings, implementation of oversight visits and activities, holding interactive sessions and conducting public and investigative.

“I’m sure this may not go down well with a large percentage of the populace but we cannot run away from the fact that the national assembly requires more funding.

“Legislature must continue to cultivate public trust in the democratic system through high ethical standards. This underscores the need to strengthen the ethics and code of conduct regime at the national assembly in order to develop a culture of high etiquette for legislators and to rebuild public trust in the political system.”

Nigerians have been demanding a slash in the budget of the national assembly which has remained a subject of controversy.

The legislature got N150 billion on an annual basis between 2011 and 2015. It was reduced to N115 billion in 2016 following public outcry, but raised to 125 billion in 2017 and N139 billion in 2018.