National Assembly Needs More Money – Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki says the National Assembly needs more money to fund all activities of the legislative arm.

Speaking during a working visit to the chairman and members of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), on Thursday, Saraki said despite funding gaps, the 8th Senate has been able to surpass all previous Senates in the number of Bills passed in 2 years.

Recall that the budget of the National Assembly was increased from N115bn to N125bn during the passage of the 2017 Budget.

Saraki in a statement by his Special Assistant on Print Media, Chuks Okocha, dismissed public impression that the legislature has too much money.

“As we work through the number of bills passed, the public hearings held, and the number of ad-hoc committees that have been established – we know the challenges of not being able to fund some of our activities.

“So far, I am happy to report that despite these constraints, the 8th Senate has been able to surpass all previous Senates in the number of Bills that we have passed in 2-years – despite the funding gaps.

“We know that as we continue over time, people will begin to have more confidence in the National Assembly. However, right now, the challenges that we have are the issue of perception and the issue of funding. We need to work hard to change this,” he said.

On his part, Chairman of the Commission, Malam Adamu Fika requested that the National Assembly leadership construct a permanent office for the commission inside the National Assembly complex, as it still operates from a rented apartment.