Speaker Abbas Says N/Assembly Underfunded

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has lamented what he described as the underfunding of the National Assembly.

According to him, the federal legislature is the most underfunded arm of the Nigerian government, contrary to the widely held belief that the Nigerian parliament swims in money.

Abbas made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja at the launch of three legislative digital platforms.

The platforms were developed by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.

Abbas was represented at the event by the member representing Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Rep Amadi Victor Obuzor.

“Many Nigerians erroneously believe that the National Assembly is overfunded. Sadly, the National Assembly is the most underfunded arm of the government.

“I am pleased that most of the development partners have carried out assessments and investigations on the funding of the National Assembly and concluded that the legislature is underfunded.

“These digital platforms will provide an opportunity to address the issues in the National Assembly and perhaps change people’s perceptions of the institution,” he said.

The platforms unveiled at the event included the PLAC Bills Track, the Legislative Agenda Tracker, and the Legislative Repository.

They are designed to improve transparency and citizen engagement in legislative activities of the lawmakers.

The platforms will enable interested members of the public track the progress of bills, access the full text of legislation, and explore infographics and analyses.

PLAC’s Deputy Executive Director, Omolara Akinyeye, explained that the tools would allow users to follow the status of bills moving through legislative processes.

Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, said the platform was part of efforts to improve oversight, accountability, and public engagement with lawmakers.

“I know that legislators, as individuals, face huge demands from constituents, the public, and all the stakeholders involved in our democracy, but it is also very important that they do not lose sight of the key aspect of their work, which involves carrying out oversight, ensuring accountability, and responding to the demands of representation that citizens make on them.

“These platforms are important and have been created to enable us to share information on the different aspects of what we are doing,” Nwankwo said.

Speaker Abbas Says N/Assembly Underfunded is first published on The Whistler Newspaper