Lawan, Gbajabiamila, Faces Legal Action Over Alleged Failure To Cut Unlawful N228.1bn NASS Budget

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), has filed a legal action against the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabuamila, over their alleged failure to cut the unlawful National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, including the N30.17bn severance payments and inauguration costs for members.

The legal action, which was filed through the group's Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, came sequel to the move by the National Assembly to increase its 2023 budget from N169bn proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari to N228.1bn. 

According to SERAP, the approved budget shows an increase of about N59.1bn, adding that the country’s budget of N21.83tn is based on a N10.49tn revenue, and N11.34tn deficit.

In the suit designated FHC/ABJ/CS/152/2023 instituted last Friday, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Dr. Lawan and Mr. Gbajabiamila to review and reduce the budget of N228.1bn the leadership and members of the National Assembly allocated for their benefit.”

SERAP is also praying for: “an order restraining and stopping Ms. Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning from releasing to the National Assembly the budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the country’s debt crisis, is carried out.

"An order restraining and stopping Dr. Lawan and Mr. Gbajabiamila from demanding or collecting the National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the country’s debt crisis, is carried out.”

In the legal offensive, SERAP is insisting that it is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for the members of the National Assembly to increase their budget at a time when some 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

SERAP, which argued that the National Assembly budget of N228.1bn is higher than the statutory transfer to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which is N103.3bn, posited that the increase is unreasonable, as it would substantially increase the cost of governance, and exacerbate the country’s debt crisis.

The group is arguing that “Cutting the National Assembly budget would reduce the growing budget deficit, address the unsustainable debt burden, and serve the public interest.

“By increasing its budget, the National Assembly has unjustifiably and disproportionately reduced the budget for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

“This is a travesty, especially given that Nigeria currently has over 20 million out-of-school children, and half of all poor people in the country are children.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

All rights reserved. This material and other digital volumes on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK.

For advert placement, please contact thenewsacceleratornetwork@gmail.com or 08033599492.