National Assembly Keeps Budget Details Secret

Despite Increasing the figure up by more than 10 per cent, The National Assembly have continue to keep the details of the 2018 budget top secret.

According to Daily Trust, NASS jacked for pending from N125 to N139.5 billion, but did not give a breakdown of what items made up the single line item.

After the pressure from various stakeholders last year, the head of the National Assembly released its budget details, a development that gave the public the opportunity to scrutinise the allocations.

unlike what obtained last year when the details were released same day the national budget was passed,
18 days after the 2018 budget was passed, the National Assembly has not revealed the details.

A lawmaker during an interview with the implementation of 2017 budget should be looked into, in addition to the provision of details of the 2018 budget released same day the national budget was passed.

“The issue is not only about the details, the focus should be how that of last year was spent. Even if it is in a closed session, it should be discussed. It is only when this is done that we can be talking of transparency,” he said.

He added that the 2018 budget should be budget scrutinized, as it was done during the budget defence by MDAs

House spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) when contacted said the budget details would be made available in due course.

“We’ll make it available with time, but for now, we don’t have the details handy,” he said.