The paucity of funds occasioned by the downturn in the economy has stalled probes embarked upon by ad-hoc committees set up by the Senate and the House of Representatives as part of their oversight functions.
It was learnt in Abuja on Thursday that Nigeria’s 469 legislators, made up of 109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives as well as their aides, are yet to be paid their emoluments.
The 8th Senate is currently probing the power sector as well as the activities of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Lamorde.
On its part, the House of Representatives is probing the performance of the 2015 Appropriation Act.
A member of the Senate’s Ad- hoc Committee on Power, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, told reporters that the committee had to put its planned public hearing on hold due to non-availability of funds.
According to him, the cash crunch has played a key role in stalling some of legislative activities.
He said, “We cannot carry out our functions effectively, because there is no money in the system”.
Ohuabunwa said, “Part of the problems we are facing now is the problem of funding. I want to tell you outrightly, because he who wears the shoe, knows where it pinches; our major problem now is funding.
“There is no money in the system. Isolate the running of the parliament from parliamentarians and isolate the cost of running the parliament from the parliamentarians in it. Running the parliament is expensive. Presidential system of government in particular, with bi-cameral legislature, is an expensive part of democracy. So, you can’t eat your cake and have it.”
He further explained that claims that lawmakers were earning huge salaries, to the detriment of the system, were misplaced.
According to him, such claims did not take into consideration the fact that civil servants, who form the bulk of the bureaucracy as well as aides and other services, were included in the National Assembly budget.
He said, “In fact, now, we cannot do our job effectively. We cannot do our functions effectively, because there is no money.
“For example, we supposed to start the public hearing on the power sector on the 11th of this month, but we couldn’t because of lack of money.
“The idea was to have a stakeholders’ meeting; to have the just ended interactive session for two, three days, from 8 to 10 September; then 11th, we start the public hearing which supposed to end on the 15th day of September, 2015, but unfortunately, we cannot do that because there is no money in the system to run the committee and perform our functions effectively.
“So, what we have decided for now is to mellow down a bit till the Senate resumes for plenary sessions and see how we can raise money. However before then, we believe money must have been released into the system.
“In fact, as it is today (Thursday), we have not collected our August Salary as federal lawmakers, and by extension, the entire legislative staff of the federal lawmakers.
“Look at me here, I have not had August salary and this is 16th of September, 2015, but we don’t cry because we represent the people. And that is the truth. I am not telling you tales by moonlight story. I am telling you what is actually on ground.”
Close to 3,000 legislative aides who were engaged by Senators and members of the House of Representatives at the beginning of the 8th National Assembly in June are yet to be paid.
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