The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas on Monday called for regular publication of budget performance for public scrutiny.
Hon. Abbas who gave the charge during the one day ‘Citizens’ Townhall meeting on the 2024 budget and Appropriation process’, underscored the need for greater citizen engagement not just by the Legislature but more so by the Executive.
While acknowledging the introduction of Nigeria National Action Plan (2017-2019) under the Open Government Partnership as identified the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning as the lead institution, he observed that the initiative places the burden for improving public participation in the budget largely on the Executive.
He said: “Some of the ways to achieve this include regular publishing of MDA budgets and quarterly and annual budget implementation reports on their websites, annual publishing of a comprehensive citizen’s guide to the budget, conduct of annual citizen’s satisfaction survey and timely publication and dissemination of all key budget documents to facilitate citizens’ participation.
“The House of Representatives has taken the lead in facilitating greater citizens’ participation in the budget process, and I challenge all MDAs to do the same. On our part, the House will review the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 to strengthen existing provisions to improve access to information and public consultation during all phases of the budget cycle. Specifically, we will amend the FRA to require and define public participation explicitly.
Your participation in this town hall meeting underscores the essence of democracy – the power of the people to engage actively in governance and decision-making processes. You are invited to closely examine the 2024 budget proposal as presented to the National Assembly by Mr. President.
“As representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that the annual appropriation reflects the needs and aspirations of every Nigerian citizen. We are acutely aware that so many Nigerians are grappling with the challenges of soaring inflation.
“In August 2023, the headline inflation rate increased to 25.80% relative to the July 2023 headline inflation rate, which was 24.08%. The food inflation rate was 29.34% on a year-on-year basis, which was 6.22% points higher than the rate recorded in August 2022. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics also shows that transportation costs have soared due to the hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit.”
Speaker Abbas however reassured all Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly are committed to addressing these hardships. The top priorities of the 2024 Appropriation Bill, as stated by the President, are national security, local job creation and poverty reduction. As a result, he labelled it the ‘Budget of Renewed Hope’.
“I call on all of you to support the aspirations of this budget and suggest ways through which the National Assembly can strengthen the proposals to deliver better economic growth and development. Your contributions must go beyond mere criticisms to constructive and evidence-based suggestions on how we can improve the budget process and make the budget more responsive to the needs of all Nigerians.
“The full involvement of the House Committee on Appropriation is deliberate in view of their role in the overall budget process. The Chairman and his Members have been enthusiastic about this engagement and have actually included it in their work plan. I commend this commitment and am confident that the inputs from this interaction will be considered in the Committee’s final report to the House.
“Going forward, we will sustain this initiative. We believe this process should start before the budget is presented to the National Assembly. This is critical to ensuring that the budget becomes the people’s budget. We expect that the 2025 budget will be discussed at the constituency level to ensure greater inclusion and engagement with diverse stakeholders at the grassroots level.
“My fellow compatriots, I appeal that your interest in the budget does not stop here. I urge you to follow up with the oversight supervision of the implementation process after passage. Your full participation can go a long way in strengthening and enhancing legislative oversight. We will leverage your expertise to ensure that budget implementation aligns with legislative intent.
In his address, former National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore dismissed allegation on budget padding.
Senator Omisore who was the former Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations affirmed that 1999 Constitution (as amended) donated the powers of the purse to the National Assembly.
He said: “My message this morning is going to address the crystal issue of blackmail that is always about National Assembly members. In the last couple of years, Nigerians have not been well-educated about the budget process in the National Assembly.
“Section 80 of the 1999 Constitution states clearly that there will be a Consolidated Fund that all monies must go into that account. And that no expenditure must be made without an Act of the National Assembly.
“Section 81 states that the power of the fund resides in the National Assembly. When you hear people say padding, it is an embarrassing language. Nigerians like blackmail but there is nothing like padding.
“The Executive led by Mr. President under Section 81 will bring forth estimates. What we have now are estimates of the 2024 budget. The National Assembly will give the Nigerian public the budget for the federation. Nigeria over the years, there was the constancy of the Executive and the Judiciary during the military years. There was no National Assembly. Without National Assembly, there is no democracy in any country.
“Nigerians with due respect, most of them are lazy. They get stuck in their brains and start making noise about budget padding. In the last few years, I heard on television stations things like, ‘is there budget padding this year?’ These are ignorant talks and Nigerians celebrate ignorance a lot. From today, let everyone be educated that there is nothing like padding in the Nigerian budgetary system.
“The power resides in the National Assembly. What this means is that with the Senators and House of Representatives members, they are looking at the budget to see it meets the needs of their constituency,” Senator Omisore noted.
In his remarks, Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Abubakar Bichi reiterated the Committee’s resolve towards actualizing long time advocacy for transparent, inclusive and progressive budgeting system.
He said: “The Committee is determined to promote this laudable campaign which explains why this engagement is organized to provide you with the opportunity of participation, making inputs and telling the rest of Nigerians the new dimension of budget process which is open for public scrutiny and value addition from stakeholders.
“It is imperative to inform the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders here present of the Committee’s determination to uphold the principles of the 10th House of Representatives Legislative Agenda of ensuring effective and participatory budget process that guarantees efficient service delivery by the MDAs.
“In exercising its powers of coordinating the Appropriations process, the Committee will always maintain an open door policy to accommodate the interest of stakeholders in making the process more credible, peoples oriented and veritable instrument towards good governance.
“I therefore urge you to maintain your true culture of critical engagement to make this exercise lively and rewarding.”
Meanwhile, representatives of various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who spoke during the event lamented that foreign organisations and Development Partners invest more into the health sector than Nigerian Government.
Hence, they called on the leadership of National Assembly to ensure upward review of proposed budgetary allocation for health from the proposed 3.6% to 15% annual budgetary allocation adopted by African Union (AU) in 2001 otherwise called ‘Abuja Declaration’.
They observed that the current budgetary allocation showed that about N5,000 is provided for each Nigerian citizen for a whole year was appalling, just as they called for deliberate policy that will ensure that subnational governments prioritise health in the annual budget.
The stakeholders also stressed the need for upward review of budgetary allocations to education, security, power, climate change, as well as People Living With Disability (PWDs),
In the bid to ensure effective implementation of the 2024 budget, they harped on the need for thorough project monitoring and evaluation through oversight functions being carried out by Standing Committees of both the Senate and House of Representatives.
