Obasanjo on the National Assembly

The recent statement by the former President – Olusegun Obasanjo – to the effect that the National Assembly should be sensitive to the financial positions of the country by jettisoning the multi – million naira car scheme is in order and in the best interest of the nation.

At a time when the country is bleeding because of sharp decline in revenue and inability to execute most critical infrastructure and other important national projects, it is uncharitable for the legislatures to think that the best thing that could happen to them would be to purchase luxury cars for their work and comfort. This is most selfish and demonstrates that the legislatures are completely disconnected from the reality of things in the country.

For a government and a party that campaigned on a platform of change – change from reckless spending that characterised previous administrations in the country, it  is sad that its members in the National Assembly could easily forget those campaign promises and simply go  for the kill with its demand for posh cars which will cost the tax payers  billions of Naira in these hard times.

But this is not surprising. Since 1999, the national assembly has tended to exhibit such attitudes. They often unilaterally increase their budgetary allocations without due consideration to the revenue profile of the country and the sufferings of poor Nigerians. They appear to be locked in a fierce competition with the executive arm of government for the sharing of the national cake and so they waste no time in allocating humongous figures to themselves and their welfares.

The closest anyone got to knowing how lawmakers spend Nigeria’s hard-earned money was the expose given by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and current Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi. According to the former governor then, the National Assembly accounted for about 25 percent of the total overhead cost by the federal government. For instance, the National Assembly budget for 2009 highlights shows that out of a total

appropriation of N106.64 billion for that year, recurrent expenditure was N101.39 billion, or 95 percent, allowing just N5.25 billion for capital projects.

Under the recurrent, overheads accounted for N87.69 billion, or 86.48 percent, with personnel cost allocated N13.69 billion, or 13.52 percent. In 2003, total National Assembly budget was about N23.347 billion. The next year, the figure rose to about N32.229 billion (2004) and then N55.422 billion in 2005. Although the figure dropped to N39.810 billion in 2006, the allocations have remained on the upswing ever after. In 2007, the National Assembly’s budget rose from N66.488 billion to a whopping N104.825 billion in 2008, before dropping marginally to N96.052 billion in 2009.

By 2010, the allocation skyrocketed to N154.2 billion.

Apart from payment of salaries and other fringe benefits, which takes an average of about N10 billion,  the bulk of the allocations were  allegedly shared among members according to pre-agreed formula after allocations for such items as constituency projects, budget tracking, software, hardware, implementation and monitoring; NASS equipment; judgment debt; renovation projects; general goods and non-personal services; general travels and transport (local and international) as well as general training.

It is time the National Assembly realises that they were elected to serve the people and not to feed on them. They must understand the current mood of the nation and act appropriately. They cannot be preaching to the people to tighten their belts and endure hardships due to a declining revenue profile and they go about expending public revenues on luxurious cars.

It is also time Nigerians that Nigerians compel their representatives to feel the pulse of those they are representing. They must stand up and condemn this action by the national assembly.