From John Adeleye,Ado Ekiti
A Pro-democracy group under the auspices of the Nigerian Youths For Positive Change (NYPC) have described the suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the National Assembly as undemocratic and a ploy to heat up the polity.
Recall that SERAP had filed the lawsuit to challenge the National Assembly for increasing its budget in the 2024 budget, urging the court to declare the NASS action as illegal and unconstitutional.
Briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, the convener Vincent Anyanwu, who spoke on behalf of the group, accused SERAP of constituting itself as an opposition to the growth and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.
Anyanwu noted that, what was submitted by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio is a proposal and not a budget, adding that budget is also part of the statutory duties of the National Assembly as contained in sections 80 and 81 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, (as amended).
In his words, “SERAP do not have the rights to dictate to the National Assembly, it’s not done anywhere. What was submitted by the President of the senate, Goodwill Akpabio is a proposal not a Budget and Budget is even part NASS Job as contained in Sections 80 & 81 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (As Amended).
“SERAP can’t just wake up in one day and decide what the National Assembly should do. These people are binded by the constitution and they should be allowed to act in accordance to the constitution of the nation.
“On this note, we are calling for the independence of legislature and comparative decline in legislative budget.”
He went further to state that the NASS budget also involve other organs of the institutions like National Assembly Office, among others.
According to their intensive researches, they said about 25% of the aid budget is actually capital expenditures (CapEx).
“The NASS Budget involves other organs of the Institution including National Assembly Office, National Assembly Service Commission and National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS). Concerning the said budget, About 25% of it is Capital expenditures (CapEx).”
End.
