The Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola, says the National Assembly has the duty to ensure that no part of the country is neglected in terms of development.
Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial District,said this while delivering a lecture on “The Role of Legislature in Shaping a Holistic Budget for Nigeria” at the 2nd Annual Retreat of the Remo Traditional Council in Sagamu, Ogun,according to a statement by Chief Kayode Odunaro,his media adviser,on Sunday.
The legislator said the National Assembly is using the instrument of budget to ensure all zones of the country enjoy the dividends of democracy.
According to him, the budget is not just about numbers, but a policy document targeted at serving the interest and well-being of Nigerians in a holistic way.
Adeola said that since 1999, there had been many misconceptions about the role of the legislature in the budget process.
“The legislature has the duty to ensure that no part of the country is neglected.
“And let us note that the needs of each areas of Nigeria in terms of development are multi-faceted and diverse.
“This is why each senator and member of the House of Representatives is expected to make inputs based on the needs of their constituents and constituencies for possible inclusion in the budget.
“If successful, this is not budget padding or insertions, but using legislative power for the interest of the people,” the senator said.
He said that terms like “budget padding”, “insertions’ and “constituency projects” had been wrongly used to “cast aspersions on the legislature “for long.
“There is a lot of misinformation and sometimes outright falsehood out there on the issue of budget in Nigeria. The legislature is often wrongly portrayed as the villain in our budgeting process.
“Accusations relating to the budget like ‘budget padding’ ‘insertions’ and ‘constituency projects’ are regularly thrown around in the media against the legislature, creating confusion and casting aspersions on parliamentarians among citizens.”
According to him, what is regarded as budget padding or insertion and sold to the public as a corrupt practice over the years are legislative interventions in the budgetary process.
He added that without these legislative interventions, it wil be difficult for some areas in the country to feel the impact of government.
The senator further clarified that constituency projects in the budget are implemented by the executive through Ministries Departments and Agencies(MDAs)
According to him, since constituency funds are domiciled in MDAs and projects are not implemented by lawmakers, it is unfair to accuse the legislature of budget padding
He said that Sections 80 to 84 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria gave the National Assembly the sole power of appropriation over public fund
“This power means that before any kobo is spent from the national treasury, it must first be approved by the National Assembly,”he said.
Adeola said there was the need for proper education on the budgeting process to enable citizens understand how the budget works.
On the review of the 1999 Constitution, Adeola promised to support efforts to give constitutional roles for traditional rulers.
He said that traditional institutions play critical roles in good governance, peace building, security and community development.
Speaking, the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi, applauded the senator for illuminating his palace with solar street lights and executing several other projects across the state.
Ajayi, who presided over the lecture, said that the retreat was organised to broaden knowledge and solicit more development for Remoland.
He added that Remoland deserved a federal educational institution as well as the proposed Ijebu State.