…‘N12 billion spent on NASS appointees’
At a time Nigerians are demanding a reduction in the cost of governance to survive the current economic crisis members of the National Assembly, (NASS), may end up having more than 2, 563 legislative aides, barring any last-minute change.
With the size of its membership, including aides, the National Assembly is one of the institutions that consume a large portion of the national budget yearly. However, the bloated number of aides comes with a high cost of public sector expenditure and impacts negatively on the development of the country.
Since 1999, the cost of running the legislature has been on the rise, leading to nationwide sustained calls for a reduction. Since that period, the outrageous number of appointees by the 469 members of NASS, made up of 109 Senate members and 360 for the House of Representatives, has been an issue of concern, especially given what it costs taxpayers to maintain them.
At a time like this when the nation battles dwindling oil prices, 22.41 percent inflation, acute unemployment rate and high debt portfolio among others, many expect a lean bureaucracy at the NASS.
However, findings show that members of the 10th NASS are not departing from the culture of appointing numerous legislative aides who are to be funded under the 2023 Appropriation Act.
Notwithstanding the pressure it places on the country’s poor finances, the National Assembly Act empowers lawmakers to appoint aides. It was learnt the aides are recruited by the National Assembly Service Commission on the recommendation of each lawmaker and their appointments are valid so long as they remain appointees of senators and House of Representatives members.
According to the Act, each of the lawmakers, excluding principal officers, is entitled to five aides, comprising one senior legislative aide, two legislative aides, a personal assistant and secretary.
The Act provides a different number of aides for the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives. The office of the Senate President is entitled to 45 appointees, Deputy Senate President, 30, House Speaker, 33, Deputy Speaker, 15, and Principal Officers, 10 each.
A breakdown shows that 451 members, excluding two presiding officers and 16 principal officers of both the upper and lower legislative houses, would have no fewer than 2, 255 aides by the time they conclude their appointments. The total number of aides of the presiding officers and principal officers is 363, making the total of all aides statutorily provided as 2,563.
Since their inauguration on June 10, 2023, the legislators have been appointing aides, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, leading so far with 33 appointees.
The financial implication of this on the nation’s finances has been on the increase as the lawmakers sometimes exceed the numbers approved by the NASS Act.
Efforts to get Speaker Abbas’ Chief Press Secretary to comment on the issue were unsuccessful while Senate President Akpabio had yet to appoint a spokesman.
