I’ve never seen National Assembly budget – Akpabio

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Senate President, Godswill Akpabio

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…As Senate withdraws Internal Tender Board motion, demands NASS budget transparency first

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By Henry Umoru

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio has raised the alarm that he has never seen the budget of the National Assembly, just as he called for transparency in the area of budget.

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Akpabio disclosed this during the presentation of a motion that sought to establish an Internal Tender Board for the National Assembly, sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi, APC, Kogi West. It was titled, “Review of the Internal Procurement Process of the National Assembly.”

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The President of the Senate insisted that greater transparency in the legislature’s budgeting and financial management must come before any procurement reforms.

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Akpabio said, “Personally, I have not seen the budget of the National Assembly. Senator Tambuwal, you were a Speaker, I don’t know, maybe in the House of Representatives, they showed you.”

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Also speaking on the National Assembly’s budget, Senator Adamu Aliero, APC, Kebbi Central, lamented that lawmakers themselves were often unaware of the details of the National Assembly’s budget, saying that the Senate was “putting the cart before the horse,” stressing that the absence of a functional Budget and Research Office remained a more pressing issue.

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Aliero said, “Two of the problems that we have in the National Assembly regarding the management of finances and the budget do not solely lie in the process of procurement. The problem has been that the National Assembly has not set up a Budget and Research Office.

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“What is happening today is that we don’t even know and we don’t even see the budget of the National Assembly being presented here so that we can interrogate and understand the lines of expenditure,” he added.

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“My opinion is that the Senator should step down this motion. Let us get the house right first before we talk about the issues that the Distinguished Senator Karimi is raising.”

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Earlier, the Senate stepped down the motion by Senator Karimi to establish an Internal Tender Board for the National Assembly, as lawmakers stressed that greater transparency in the legislature’s budgeting and financial management must come before any procurement reforms.

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The motion was eventually withdrawn after it drew criticism from lawmakers who described it as premature and lacking adequate internal consultation.

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Moving the motion, Karimi argued that the proposal was aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the National Assembly and safeguarding its financial independence as guaranteed by the Constitution.

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He cited Section 81(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which provides for the funding of the National Assembly through a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.

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“The Senate notes that Section 81(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended guarantees the independence of the National Assembly and provides for the funding of the National Assembly through the first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation,” Karimi said.

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He also relied on Section 51 of the Constitution, which empowers each chamber of the National Assembly to regulate its own procedure and internal administration.

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“In furtherance of the constitutional principle of separation of powers and parliamentary autonomy, the Senate resolves that it is necessary to strengthen the institutional capacity of the National Assembly to manage its financial and procurement processes efficiently, transparently and in a manner consistent with its status as an independent arm of government,” he stated.

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Karimi urged the Senate to affirm parliamentary autonomy, establish an Internal Tender Board to evaluate and approve procurement matters within approved budgetary provisions, and mandate the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) to constitute the board.

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However, the proposal immediately met resistance from fellow senators, who argued that the legislature should first address longstanding concerns about budget transparency.

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Akpabio also criticised both the timing and procedure adopted by the sponsor, saying such a proposal should have been discussed with the Senate leadership and the Clerk to the National Assembly before reaching the floor.

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He said, “Senator Karimi, you should have discussed this even with me in the presence of the Clerk to the National Assembly and the principal officers of management so that I get clearance on what you are coming up with.”

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The President of the Senate, who questioned the wisdom of publicly debating the establishment of an Internal Tender Board before resolving internal concerns about the management of the legislature’s finances, said, “We should start with ourselves. We should get the two chambers to know exactly what is going on.

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“We should also debate and understand the budget. We should know how much is coming, what is going to where. This motion is premature,” he said.

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Akpabio subsequently advised Karimi to withdraw the motion.

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Before doing so, Karimi, who sought clarification on whether the Clerk to the National Assembly had discussed the proposal with the Senate President, said, “Mister President, while I am withdrawing the motion, did the CNA discuss this motion with you?” Karimi asked.

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Akpabio replied: “No, no. This is not correct. If it was discussed with me, I would not be opposed. I am not opposed to the motion, but I am opposed to the content of the prayers.”

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Karimi thereafter withdrew the motion, saying, “Okay, I am withdrawing the motion.”

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The Senate President then ruled: “Motion withdrawn.”

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The development means the proposed Internal Tender Board will not be established for now, as the Senate leadership indicated that lawmakers would first be briefed on the National Assembly’s budget and financial management before any fresh proposal on procurement reforms is considered.

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