The National Assembly is to spend the sum of N150 billion this year as contained in the 2014 budget proposal currently before it.
The budget document however did not provide for the different projects they money would be expended on.
It also shows zero allocation for the capital expenditure of the federal legislature.
Unlike other agencies and parastatals of government, the amount proposed for National Assembly does not have any sub-heading and titles under it but only states N150 billion as general allocation for recurrent expenditure.
For instance, whereas the total amount for the presidency’s personnel is N12.799 billion; total overhead is put at N12.216 billion while total recurrent is N25.016 billion and total capital is N8.390 billion, that of the National Assembly shows N150 billion for both personnel and recurrent with overhead and capital having zero allocations.
Daily Trust reports that for the past three years, the National Assembly budget allocation has been in the region of N150 billion.
Reacting yesterday, House of Representatives spokesman Zakari Mohammed (APC, Kwara) said the allocation for the federal legislature should capture both recurrent and capital expenditure.
Mohammed who spoke with our reporter on phone said over the years, the National Assembly allocation has been prepared to include both recurrent and capital expenditure which is used in the entire business of the federal legislature within every financial year.
“It has been like that over time” he said.
“Our budgets have been with both recurrent and capital. It is the same amount that we use for both the Senate and the House of Reps, the National Assembly Service Commission and the entire management as well as our legislative aides.”
Source: Daily Trust
