The National Assembly has indiscriminately added projects to the budget, with most projects having no national significance but narrowed to personal interests.

A total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly, an ugly trend that was accelerated in the 10th National Assembly.

The National Assembly has indiscriminately added projects to the budget, with most projects having no national significance but narrowed to personal interests.

Under Tinubu, the federal lawmakers raised their allocation from N197 billion to N344 billion, their highest ever in the history of the National Assembly.

Ridiculous line items include:

A. NASS Printing press. N3 billion

B. NASS Library. N12.1 billion

C. NASS Library book procurement N3 billion

D. NASS e-library N225 million

E. Senate Car Park N3 billion

F. Reps Car Park N3 billion

G. NASS recreation center N4 billion

H. NASS Hospital Project. N15 billion

The NASS budget is twice the total allocation to all 26 Federal Universities.

Observations

Note the duplication in line items B, C and D. i.e Nass Library, Nass e-library and Nass Library book procurement.

Note the same cost for the Senate car park (109 members) and Reps car park (360 members). In other words, a 109 cars capacity car park costs the same as a 360 cars capacity car park.

Does this mean that Julius Berger designed and built the NASS complex without adequate car park capacity?

N15 billion for NASS hospital project is enough to build one primary health care center in every local government area in Nigeria.

The new State House clinic/hospital is available for the use of NASS members so why waste N15 billion on a new hospital for only 500 people? Please, also note the running and overhead cost of this hospital when it becomes operational.

It is heartbreaking that NASS increased their allocation by N147 billion in a budget that is running a deficit financed by external borrowing. It is sad!

With current inflation, the cost of these items has tripled. All the above items (A-H) are of no strategic fit or strategic alignment, purely selfish and personal interests where the contracts are awarded to companies belonging to NASS members.

So where do we go from here?

Show me your friends and I will tell you who you are. It is very clear that the choice of Akpabio, a corruption guru, as Senate President was a strategic objective by President Tinubu to institutionalise corruption in the National Assembly.

Our lawmakers have turned contractors. Our lawmakers are only interested in the looting of the treasury.

I would be ashamed if I were a member of the NASS or addressed as a Senator or HoA member. But we have no shame and we also do not know the definition of shame.

Regarding the question Where do we go from here?, I do not have an answer but I know that Nigeria cannot continue like this.

President Bola Tinubu does not mean well for Nigeria. I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt.

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