Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that the national assembly must move beyond merely passing budgets to tracking how appropriated funds are translated into measurable public outcomes.
Speaking through the House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, at the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance held Monday in Abuja, Abbas emphasised that sustainable development depends on transparent and accountable fiscal governance.
“This conference should address the fact that fiscal transparency should no longer be confined to elite circles of technocrats and auditors; it must become a democratic right that empowers citizens to participate in shaping public policy,” Abbas said.
He outlined initiatives taken by the 10th House of Representatives to improve fiscal oversight, including making audit reports publicly accessible, enhancing committee engagement with the Office of the Auditor-General, and following up on previous audit findings.
“We have begun to institutionalise a culture where public fund management is not only monitored but measured against actual impact,” Abbas said. “It is no longer sufficient to pass budgets; the real legislative triumph lies in ensuring that budgeted funds lead to tangible public outcomes.”
He said the House has introduced performance-based budgeting to tie allocations more directly to service delivery outcomes, and noted that public presentations and debates now follow every appropriation bill submitted by the executive.
The Speaker also mentioned the expansion of post-budget engagements over the last two years, including performance reviews, on-site inspections, and sectoral audits aimed at evaluating how funds are used in practice.
Also speaking at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Abdul Ningi, warned that government agencies must take legislative oversight seriously.
“Refusal to honour legislative invitations, especially from the public accounts committees (PACs), is unacceptable. This trend must be stopped,” Ningi said. “Without accountability, there will be no prosperity. Without discipline, there will be no development.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam, said the committee remains committed to ensuring that public resources are managed lawfully and efficiently.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that public resources are managed in a lawful, transparent, prudent, judicious, accountable, and efficient manner,” Salam said.
He added that the committee is working to combat corruption, impunity, and violations of due process in public financial management.
