Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
A non-profit organization, BudgIT, has released a report raising concerns about the growing influence of National Assembly members in the allocation of constituency projects.
The Head of Tracka in the organisation, Ayomide Ladipo, while addressing the press in Lagos on Monday said this was observed in the last one year.
She said the lawmakers now overstepped their bounds, encroaching on the purview of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
According to Ladipo, this has resulted in agencies being allocated projects unrelated to their core mandates, with lawmakers exerting control over procurement processes.
The report noted that lawmakers are exceeding their constitutional boundaries by inserting personal projects into the general capital budget, exceeding an estimated amount of N100 billion naira.
She said, āIn previous years, empowerment projects were mostly limited to constituency projects within the 100 billion naira purse. So the National Assembly members who are mostly the drivers of this empowerment project, stay within the limit of their constituency project, but in the last one year, they have broken the ceiling. We have seen them infiltrate beyond the 100 billion naira constituency project into the general capital project earlier this year.
āThe capital projects are within the purview of the MDAs, but now we have seen situations whereby they have totally infiltrated the capital project.
āWe learnt that some of the Agencies have to grovel to National Assembly members to get their budget approved and that means the lawmakers have to insert their own. It is almost like a trade and barter system.
“It is evident in the budget when you see an agency that deals in technology being in charge of a medical outreach and you tend to see the connection when you look at the National Assembly members from these communities.
āYou also discover they have people in these agencies that they have control over. So they take over the entire procurement system.ā
Key Findings of the BudgIT Report:
- Overreach in Project Selection: BudgIT claims National Assembly members are exceeding their traditional oversight role and encroaching on the responsibilities of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) by inserting their own projects into the budget.
- Lack of Transparency: The report highlights a lack of transparency in the selection and approval process for these inserted projects. This raises concerns about potential pork barrel politics and the allocation of funds based on personal interests rather than national priorities.
- Impact on Budget Efficiency: BudgIT argues that this practice undermines the efficiency of the national budget. By prioritizing personal projects, essential national development projects allocated through MDAs might be neglected.
Concerns and Potential Repercussions:
- Erosion of Separation of Powers: The report suggests that this overreach could be seen as an erosion of the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. The National Assembly’s primary function is to scrutinize and approve the budget, not directly insert projects.
- Misallocation of Resources: Diverting funds towards projects not vetted by relevant MDAs could lead to misallocation of resources and potentially hinder long-term development goals.
BudgIT’s report sheds light on a potential issue within Nigeria’s budget allocation process. Addressing this issue requires collaboration between the National Assembly, the executive branch, and civil society organizations to ensure a transparent and efficient system that prioritizes national development.
Tags: BudgIT, NASS, Lawmakers, Budget, Nigeria, MDAs, National Assembly, Bola Tinubu, Civil Society
Discover more from News Round The Clock
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
