“While the presidency budget for ‘rehabilitation and repairs of fixed assets’ in the 2024 budget was N14bn, the budget for the same item in the 2025 budget is N26bn, an increase of about N12bn.
“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 National Assembly seems to budget the same amounts in the 2025 budget for the same budget items in the 2024 budget.
“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.
“Many Nigerians will find it quite odd, unfair and unjust that the government and lawmakers are spending so much money on many of these items in the middle of a public borrowing crisis.
“The proposed spending could be better allocated to improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services.
“Cutting unnecessary spending by the presidency and the National Assembly would show that the National Assembly can discharge its constitutional responsibility of amplifying the voices of Nigerians.
“It will also show that the body is acting in the best interest of the people. Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials including lawmakers, as public officials owe a fiduciary duty to the general citizenry.
“The Office of the President proposes N7,014,596,511 for travel and transport expenses. This includes N873,886,689 for local travel and transport, and N6,140,709,822 for international travel and transport.
“For the Office of the Vice President, N1,732,106,437 is proposed for travel and transport expenses. This is divided into N417,488,198 for local travel and transport, and N1,314,618,239 for international travel and transport.
“The combined total allocation for the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President is N11,636,444,082.
“Both offices also plan to spend N546,215,080 on food stuff/catering materials supplies and N71,431,389 refreshment and meals in the coming year. The combined allocation for Honorarium and Sitting Allowance across both offices is N87,576,661.
“Other recurrent expenditures for the offices include: drugs and medical supplies, N79,671,849 (Office of the President only); postages and courier services: N3,919,783; publicity and advertisements: N26,460,195; welfare packages: N24,907,558 (Office of the Vice President only); and sport activities: 3,098,655 (Office of the Vice President only).
“The proposed budget for the National Assembly is over N334 billion [N344,852,880,669]. However, the lawmakers have not disclosed the details of the budget.
“Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
“Under Section 16(1)(a)(b), the National Assembly has the obligations to ‘harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy’, and to ‘secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.’
“Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power. Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the National Assembly to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.
“Section 882) of the Nigerian Constitution provides the National Assembly shall have the powers to ‘expose corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it.”
