SERAP demands cut in Presidency, N’Assembly budgets, threatens legal action 

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas to cut the proposed budget of N9.4 billion on travel, refreshments and meals for the Presidency, and the proposed N344.85 billion for the lawmakers.

The savings, it proposed, should be used to address the budget deficit.

In a statement, at the weekend, signed by the Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, asserted that any unnecessary proposed spending by the Presidency and the National Assembly would amount to a fundamental breach of the Constitution.

The organisation urged Akpabio and Abbas to request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill to reflect its proposed adjustments, for the approval of the National Assembly.

SERAP urged them to promptly disclose the detailed breakdown of the National Assembly budget of N344.85 billion, including the details for personnel cost, salaries and allowance of lawmakers.

It also urged Akpabio and Abbas to invite the heads of alleged corrupt Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to explain the whereabouts of billions of naira of public funds, as documented in the recently released 2021 audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

According to SERAP, the proposed huge spending is neither necessary nor in the public interest, especially in the face of the country’s dire economic situation and the level of proposed borrowing to fund the 2025 budget.

The body noted that the National Assembly has transparency obligations to disclose the details and breakdown of the proposed budget for the lawmakers, urging the duo to publicly commit that the National Assembly would reduce and not increase its proposed budget of N344.85 billion for 2025.

SERAP lamented the Presidency’s N26 billion budget for rehabilitation and repairs of fixed assets, which was N14 billion in the 2024 budget, an increase of about N12 billion.

“Should the National Assembly and its leadership fail to reduce the unnecessary spending and tackle the systemic corruption in MDAs, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to compel the National Assembly to discharge its constitutional oversight and fiduciary responsibilities”.

The civil society group added, “It would be a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for the members of the National Assembly to approve unnecessary spending for themselves and the presidency.”