The House of Representatives in the past 10 years got N1. 271trillion as statutory allocation, from which the sum N500 billion was stolen in the name of running cost, sacked Appropriation Committee Chairman, Hon Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said.
In a statement he issued at the weekend, Jibrin gave the breakdown of the 10 years’ allocation as follows: “In 2006, the lawmakers got N49.3 billion, in 2007 (N59.80 billion), N112.56 billion for 2008.
“In 2009, N106.64 billion; 2010, N127. 78 billion; 2011, N150 billion; 2012, N150 billion; 2013, N150 billion; 2014, N150 billion; 2015, N120 billion and 2016, N115 billion”, he said.
Jibril explained that the National Assembly’s allocation is a first line charge in the budget which makes it a priority and mandatory payment from the federation account
He said: The utilisation of this allocation which is the internal budget of the House has remained the most opaque in the entire world. When the allocation is received, the running cost of members which comes up to almost half the allocation is deducted.
“No member has a copy of the internal budget of the House which shows how the balance is spent. It is important to note that the running cost excludes salaries of legislative aides many of whom are ghost staff and other expenditures.
“The balance which is more than sufficient but for corruption is what is expected to be used to run the activities of the NASS. But, severally, the House still inserts some of its expenditure in the federal government budget especially capital supplementation under service wide vote.
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