No secrecy in NASS annual budget, says Senator

Wakili debunked insinuations that the annual budget of the National Assembly is shrouded in secrecy.

Wakili at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja explained that the assembly’s budget had always been captured in the Appropriation Bill usually presented by the president.

He said that in the recent time, the national assembly budget had been on decline following the economic recession facing the country.

“ It is part of the national budget presented by the president. Some six years ago, the budget of the National Assembly was constant at N150 billion.

“Two years ago, because of the exigency of the Nigeria state where there was no fund, the 7 Assembly, before it left, had to cut the budget to N120 billion from N150 billion.

“Last year, that is the 8th assembly, our budget was N115 billion and it was captured in the Federal Government budget.

“Out of this N115 billion, we have the House of Representatives, we have the Senate, we have 365 members of House of Representatives, and 109 senators.

“Then, we have the bureaucracy of the national assembly in terms of the staff, from the Clerk to everybody.

“We also have the Nigeria Institute of Legislative Studies, the National Assembly Service Commission, with the paraphernalia of its staff.

“All of us take from this N115 billion. So, I don’t know where the issue of secrecy is,’’ he said.

On constituency intervention projects, Wakili said that it was a lump sum provided by the Federal Government which went across the states and the geo-political zones of the country.

He said that the total sum of the projects was not more than N60 billion, explaining that each geo-political zone took N10 billion which was further sub-divided, depending on the number of states within each zone.

He also dismissed as false the salary of the lawmakers, especially as being conveyed by the social media.

Wakili said that the emolument of the lawmakers was fixed by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

“My salary is not more than N774,000 and with other allowances.

“I was complaining at plenary that the Federal Ministry of Works, Housing and Power, in one go are buying vehicles worth N1.23 billion and at another, they are buying with N590 million.

“But, for senator, we are buying these vehicles once in our four years tenure and Nigerians went as if heavens were failing.

“Nobody is giving you that car loan every year the way it is been portrayed. They pay you housing allowance for the first year en bloc.

“Subsequent years, it is paid the way it is done in civil service. They spread it over 12 months.’’He said that the 7th assembly had addressed the issue but decried that “unfortunately, the social media were still circulating the false information’’.

On alleged attempt by his constituents to recall him from the Senate, the lawmaker said that the plan started when he confronted his state governor for not fulfilling his electoral promises.

“Basically, it is because of the fact that I differ with the governor and he thinks he has executive authority that nobody should challenge him; that is why he thinks that he can recall me.

“I have said it that I don’t have any regret even if I am recalled because I have given the best I can to the constituency and nobody will erase those records.’’ Wakili said.

He added that Bauchi South Senatorial District, his constituency, now had the greatest voice in the national assembly.

On the rumour of his governorship ambition in 2019, Wakili said though every man had ambition, it was only God that knew what he would become in 2019.

Wakili said that he and the state governor should rather focus on performance than contemplating on who became what in 2019.

He described as “false”, the accusation that he was engaging in the anti-party activities.

According to him, the allegations are being spread by those who are afraid of my achievements and contributions to the development and the people of my constituency.

He disclosed that he had filed report of anti-party activities against his state governor, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, at the National Secretariat of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

“Do you know that they have replaced the deputy chairman and treasurer of the party in the state and the vice chairman, because they are my supporters?

“Leave the issue of anti-party, we will sought it out at the party level,’’ he said.