The whopping N150 billion allocated to the National Assembly in the 2015 Appropriation Act, can fund capital votes for 20 Ministries, Departments and Parastatals [MDAs], a PREMIUM TIMES analysis of the budget has shown.

The budget of the 469-member National Assembly consisting of 109 senators, 360 members of the House of Representatives, legislative aides, the National Assembly Commission and the Legislative Institute is about 3.4 percent of the total budget of the federation.
The capital vote for 20 major ministries, departments and parastatals is just about N49 million less than is budgeted for the National Assembly this year.
Under the 2015 capital votes, the Ministry of Youth Development got only N1.12billion Ministry of Police Affairs got N150billion, while Police Formations and Commands got only N17billion.

The Ministry of Women Affairs is allocated N1. 25billion for its capital projects, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development got N7billion and Ministry of Water Resources N6billion. The defence sector, including the Ministry of Defence, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force is allocated only N35billion.

The education sector, including the Federal Ministry of Education and the Universal Basic Education Commission, is allocated N20billion, while the Federal Ministry of Health got N20billion.
The Federal Ministry of Communication Technology got N500million only while the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Human Rights Commission (N500, 000, 003) received the same allocation for capital projects.

The Ministry of Labour and Productivity is allocated a paltry N200, 000, 000 for its capital projects during the year while the Ministry of Power got N4.24billion.
The Ministry of Science and Technology is given N500 million while the Ministry of Transport got about N4billion and the Petroleum Resources N500million.
With the worsening condition of roads in the country, the Federal Ministry of Works got only about N11billion while with even close to the 15 million housing deficit facing the country, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development got only N500million.

The Federal Ministry of Environment is also allocated about N500million while the office of the National Security Adviser got N20billion.
While getting one of the largest sectoral allocations in the country, the Nigerian lawmakers managed to approve only 106 new laws out of 1,063 brought before them in the last four years.

Background

Despite their dismal performances, the lawmakers have spent more than half a trillion naira within the period, earning the notorious title as the world’s highest paid legislators.
The figures mean for the National Assembly, with a combined annual budget of N150 billion since 2011, returned 10 per cent in efficiency and averaged about two bills each month.
Each year, the Senate, House of Representatives and allied institutions, compete for government funding with projects designed to provide jobs, healthcare, education and roads to the citizens.
While the Goodluck Jonathan administration has shown its preparedness to cut financing to those vital services to Nigerians in the face of dwindling revenues, the government has helped the lawmakers retain their super N150billion budget per year in the last four years.
Not even the present oil crisis has been enough to force the government to minimize the lawmakers’ comfort, by redirecting funds to critical areas badly starved of resources.

A typical example is the 2015 budget, affected massively by sliding oil price. The dwindling revenue forced the government to slash spending for roads – Ministry of Works – from about N160 billion to N11 billion for the entire nation. But the federal lawmakers refused to allow even a dime to be sliced off their N150 billion annual budget.
But while the lawmakers take so much, their work rate has been dismally poor, PREMIUM TIMES analysis show.
The miserable worth of Nigerian legislators’ output is amplified when compared with their American counterparts, for instance.
While the legislature, under the leadership of David Mark and Aminu Tambuwal at the Senate and House of Representatives respectively managed to clear 106 bills in four years, the U.S. Congress passed 29​7​ just between 2013 and 2014.

That figure was indeed one of the lowest for any U.S. Congress session as the two chambers passed 604 in just 1999, and 460 between 2007 and 2008.
Yet, the Nigerian lawmakers are the highest paid, according to a 2012 analysis by the UK-based Economist.

The report compared lawmakers’ earnings with their countries’ GDP – what each citizen is worth if their nation’s total wealth was shared by the population.
The analysis found Nigeria ahead of all other countries of the world, with its lawmakers taking 116 times what an average citizen takes of the GDP.
Kenya and Ghana followed with ratios of 75 and 29.8 respectively.

Norway’s ratio was 1.8, while U.S. lawmakers took 3.8 of what their citizens received.
The United States pays its lawmakers an average annual salary of $174,000 while Britain pays parliamentarians $105,000.
Nigerian lawmakers officially receive a modest pay of about $50,000(about N12m) yearly.
But they also pocket several illegal allowances, including the huge quarterly allowance which is nearly a $1m (N220m) a year.

Bills passed in the 7th assembly

Even with the limited numbers of enacted laws, records show most of the bills came from the Executive. Many were budget bills.
While the lawmakers’ turnover has been poor, several critical bills lie abandoned.
The most notable is the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which has been at the National Assembly since 2008/2009.
Pressed on why the few bills passed by the Senate are mainly executive-sponsored, the Chairman of the Senate Business and Rules Committee, Ita Enang, said the upper chamber gives no preference to bills before it.
“We don’t select bills to pass, we pass bills based on priority. We don’t say we pass a bill because it is an executive bill,” Mr. Enang said.
Sam Tsokwa, the House of Representatives chairman on rules and business, did not respond to our questions despite scheduling several meetings with our correspondent.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/183188-shocking-2015-budget-national-assemblys-n150billion-enough-to-fund-capital-votes-for-20-federal-mdas.html

The new administration should come fighting against this waste. Those who oppose reform should never see public office again.

Shocker. We already know its time for us to face this criminal lawmakers.

I believe that for now law making should be part time. If you don't have a hustle to meet your bills the govt can't look after you indefinitely.

2. They all should have their houses not built by govt. Civil servants have ridiculous amounts in their salaries called housing allowance.

3. How many newspapers do they read. That bill should come out their pocket.

4. WTF is hardship allowance, entertainment. Fyck I entertain my guests from my pocket, your guests are yours not the federal republics guests.

5. A lot if them niggaz need to be shot. It would solve a big problem in this country.

Nigeria should scrap all these and use only volunteers who will be paid 100k a month for expenses. Nigeria is too poor to fund these people.

This is evil,so many workers ve not been paid.... Yet u wont see riots,protest,rally,outcry from us,even religious leaders will turn blind on this.
We(ordinary citizens) are in trouble in this country

This is the kind of inequality and injustice that I expect Barcanista, whynotthetruth, knowledgeable and co to fight against given their keen seen of "justice"? If GMB turns around to support this, in spite of his well known view against social injustice, we will also mobilize against his administration. Let us speak truth to power: people are suffering!

You see?? Stupid and selfish leaders being paid crazy amount of money to serve the poor. They will never support a bill that will reduce their earning.

These greedy law makers are not on those seats to serve the poor but just for their own selfish interest. Bunch of thieves.

TRUTHTOPOWER:
This is the kind of inequality and injustice that I expect Barcanista, whynotthetruth, knowledgeable and co to fight against given their keen seen of "justice"? If GMB turns around to support this, in spite of his well known view against social injustice, we will also mobilize against his administration. Let us speak truth to power: people are suffering!

1)This reporter is mischievous. There's nothing shocking about something which we have known to exist for long although they lazily chose not to investigate/report it or probably its part of the plot to keep giving Jonathan a bad name. Having noticed their incapacitation in offering good governance hence they must invent all manner of excuses cum blames and heap them on Jonathan administration to take the fall for them...

2)We are in democracy with separation of powers and independence of different arms of government as key. Why would we heap our misgivings of a particular arm on another?...

3)It's in the open that Jonathan administration has reportedly supported budget cut for national assembly and even the executive. Hence some 25% or so cut was accepted. Reason why this notorious reporter and newspaper didn't capture that tells more about their agenda and motive for news such as this...

4)Note that majority of these lawmakers are from the North followed by SouthWest. Hence, you wont be surprised that they are against regionalism. Because the status quo feeds and favours them...

5)If our agitation for regionalism is supported by all and finally granted. Malaise such as these will automatically be wiped out. You don't cure malaria by just taking care of the headache. There are other issues here.

6)I am not against reducing cost of government and governance as it pertains to recurrent expenditure for executive and legislature in the interim. But regionalism should be taken note of and pursued as a way out of lazy system of leadership and parasitic governance.

gateleo:
The new administration should come fighting against this waste. Those who oppose reform should never see public office again.

Absolutely.

Yams and goats everywhere....

TRUTHTOPOWER:
This is the kind of inequality and injustice that I expect Barcanista, whynotthetruth, knowledgeable and co to fight against given their keen seen of "justice"? If GMB turns around to support this, in spite of his well known view against social injustice, we will also mobilize against his administration. Let us speak truth to power: people are suffering!

the problem is that the NASS is independent. Their budget is made by them(members), interference of the President will be deemed Gross misconduct and abuse of office, which is an impeachable offence. What should be done is to pressurise the NASS members to adopt a cut in view of the present situation, while the government can propose a cut to the NASS and appeal to them to adopt so as to free some money.

U can imagine

Whynotthetruth:


1)...Having noticed their incapacitation in offering good governance hence they must invent all manner of excuses cum blames and heap them on Jonathan administration to take the fall for them...

2)We are in democracy with separation of powers and independence of different arms of government as key. Why would we heap our misgivings of a particular arm on another?...

3)It's in the open that Jonathan administration has reportedly supported budget cut for national assembly and even the executive. Hence some 25% or so cut was accepted. Reason why this notorious reporter and newspaper didn't capture that tells more about their agenda and motive for news such as this...

4)Note that majority of these lawmakers are from the North followed by SouthWest. Hence, you wont be surprised that they are against regionalism. Because the status quo feeds and favours them...

5)If our agitation for regionalism is supported by all and finally granted. Malaise such as these will automatically be wiped out. You don't cure malaria by just taking care of the headache. There are other issues here.

6)I am not against reducing cost of government and governance as it pertains to recurrent expenditure for executive and legislature in the interim. But regionalism should be taken note of and pursued as a way out of lazy system of leadership and parasitic governance.

e

Lol. a tint of loyalty in the face of collective injustice is somewhat puzzling. I never said a single individual is responsible. I am challenging the leaders of APC and PDP on this issue. As for presidency, who knows if NASS got inspiration from the manner the executives cut the cake for themselves? An expatriate once joked remarked that it was impossible to embezzle 1000 in his country because the system will collapse. Why? every shilling has a CRITICAL assignment to carry out. This has nothing to do with GEJ alone but the system he inherited. Whether he should be blamed for assenting it at all depends sadly on our belief system.

I am for regionnalism. But before we create a new class of emperors as we have in the states, let us strengthen the capacity of citizens through the instrumentality of law and law enforcement. let us make leadership financially unattractive. How? Transparent Procurement System.
Contracts must be awarded based on market overt prices not covert. money must be paid into a publicly verifiable account. all expenditures from the account must be done by e-transfer. under this system contract inflation and kick backs will be marginal and in some cases nil.

salaries and allowances of the highest paid public servant must not be 3 times higher than that of a Federal University VC. Tax on property should be paid through bank accounts of property owner. this includes car licensing. Bank accounts will serve as the medium knowing sources of income and the tax payable. In most European countries if you don't have work got will know through your account. if you have assets higher than normal got will come after you for explanation.

What does it take to do this. Legislation. It does not need time for maturity. Before you drive a car of five million as the son or cousin of a politician you must be prepared to answer questions. if you get away when you are driving you will not get away when you are renewing your papers.

What is the effect: industrial creativity to earn legitimate money. willingness to work on the part of gold diggers and "short cutters". available of resources for essential social safety nets. mortgage, health, education and security. once you create this legal frame work. Politicians will not have personal money to sway electoral process. they will rely on people to contribute so as to make the system better. Brothers, this is the point where young intellectuals on Nairaland will put their wonderful skills to test in the soap box. You can then have leaders who came to power not because of God fathers or money but majorly because they have ideas the people bought into.

barcanista:
the problem is that the NASS is independent. Their budget is made by them(members), interference of the President will be deemed Gross misconduct and abuse of office, which is an impeachable offence. What should be done is to pressurise the NASS members to adopt a cut in view of the present situation, while the government can propose a cut to the NASS and appeal to them to adopt so as to free some money.

te author=Whynotthetruth post=33879591]

1)...Having noticed their incapacitation in offering good governance hence they must invent all manner of excuses cum blames and heap them on Jonathan administration to take the fall for them...

2)We are in democracy with separation of powers and independence of different arms of government as key. Why would we heap our misgivings of a particular arm on another?...

3)It's in the open that Jonathan administration has reportedly supported budget cut for national assembly and even the executive. Hence some 25% or so cut was accepted. Reason why this notorious reporter and newspaper didn't capture that tells more about their agenda and motive for news such as this...

4)Note that majority of these lawmakers are from the North followed by SouthWest. Hence, you wont be surprised that they are against regionalism. Because the status quo feeds and favours them...

5)If our agitation for regionalism is supported by all and finally granted. Malaise such as these will automatically be wiped out. You don't cure malaria by just taking care of the headache. There are other issues here.

6)I am not against reducing cost of government and governance as it pertains to recurrent expenditure for executive and legislature in the interim. But regionalism should be taken note of and pursued as a way out of lazy system of leadership and parasitic governance.[/quote]e


Lol. Let's move forward.

a tint of loyalty in the face of collective injustice is somewhat puzzling. I never said a single individual is responsible. I am challenging the leaders of APC and PDP on this issue. As for presidency, who knows if NASS got inspiration from the manner the executives cut the cake for themselves? An expatriate once joked remarked that it was impossible to embezzle 1000 in his country because the system will collapse. Why? every shilling has a CRITICAL assignment to carry out. This has nothing to do with GEJ alone but the system he inherited. Whether he should be blamed for assenting it at all depends sadly on our belief system.

I am for regionnalism. But before we create a new class of emperors as we have in the states, let us strengthen the capacity of citizens through the instrumentality of law and law enforcement. let us make leadership financially unattractive. How? Transparent Procurement System.
Contracts must be awarded based on market overt prices not covert. money must be paid into a publicly verifiable account. all expenditures from the account must be done by e-transfer. under this system contract inflation and kick backs will be marginal and in some cases nil.

salaries and allowances of the highest paid public servant must not be 3 times higher than that of a Federal University VC. Tax on property should be paid through bank accounts of property owner. this includes car licensing. Bank accounts will serve as the medium knowing sources of income and the tax payable. In most European countries if you don't have work govt will know through your account. if you have assets higher than normal govt will come after you for explanation.

What does it take to do this. Legislation. It does not need time for maturity. Before you drive a car of five million as the son or cousin of a politician you must be prepared to answer questions. if you get away when you are driving you will not get away when you are renewing your papers.

What is the effect: industrial creativity to earn legitimate money. willingness to work on the part of gold diggers and "short cutters". available of resources for essential social safety nets. mortgage, health, education and security. once you create this legal frame work. Politicians will not have personal money to sway electoral process. they will rely on people to contribute so as to make the system better. Brothers, this is the point where young intellectuals on Nairaland will put their wonderful skills to test in the soap box. You can then have leaders who came to power not because of God fathers or money but majorly because they have ideas the people bought into

TRUTHTOPOWER:
e

Lol. a tint of loyalty in the face of collective injustice is somewhat puzzling. I never said a single individual is responsible. I am challenging the leaders of APC and PDP on this issue. As for presidency, who knows if NASS got inspiration from the manner the executives cut the cake for themselves? An expatriate once joked remarked that it was impossible to embezzle 1000 in his country because the system will collapse. Why? every shilling has a CRITICAL assignment to carry out. This has nothing to do with GEJ alone but the system he inherited. Whether he should be blamed for assenting it at all depends sadly on our belief system.

I am for regionnalism. But before we create a new class of emperors as we have in the states, let us strengthen the capacity of citizens through the instrumentality of law and law enforcement. let us make leadership financially unattractive. How? Transparent Procurement System.
Contracts must be awarded based on market overt prices not covert. money must be paid into a publicly verifiable account. all expenditures from the account must be done by e-transfer. under this system contract inflation and kick backs will be marginal and in some cases nil.

salaries and allowances of the highest paid public servant must not be 3 times higher than that of a Federal University VC. Tax on property should be paid through bank accounts of property owner. this includes car licensing. Bank accounts will serve as the medium knowing sources of income and the tax payable. In most European countries if you don't have work got will know through your account. if you have assets higher than normal got will come after you for explanation.

What does it take to do this. Legislation. It does not need time for maturity. Before you drive a car of five million as the son or cousin of a politician you must be prepared to answer questions. if you get away when you are driving you will not get away when you are renewing your papers.

What is the effect: industrial creativity to earn legitimate money. willingness to work on the part of gold diggers and "short cutters". available of resources for essential social safety nets. mortgage, health, education and security. once you create this legal frame work. Politicians will not have personal money to sway electoral process. they will rely on people to contribute so as to make the system better. Brothers, this is the point where young intellectuals on Nairaland will put their wonderful skills to test in the soap box. You can then have leaders who came to power not because of God fathers or money but majorly because they have ideas the people bought into.

Some good practical points here while some others are theoretical at best....

Tell that your expatriate that he's exaggerating...

Jonathan just introduced cashless policy...Citizens are getting used to it...you don't jam pack the system with different policies at a time especially with our literacy level to avoid anarchy...

I was for Jonathan because some of these his novel great initiatives maybe abandoned on the altar of partisanship as buhari & APC seeks originality of ideas....

Can you remember when last contract was awarded by federal government and said contractor eloped with the money...Jonathan did some good job there...

We have so many skewed and corruption prone systems which a Jonathan blocked but Nigerians have short memory and are easily swayed by lies and propaganda especially when garnished with ethnicity and religious belief....

APC to me represents conglomeration of Nigeria sordid past of failed leaders...I only pray for grace to endure them because they are not any change whatsoever we desire....

Nigeria is on auto pilot to destruction with all these high recurrent expenditure

When it comes to sharing money, they are always united...This greedy bunch will never reduce their expenditure with nigeria sinking...SMH

I hv bn shouting this time without number that d problem we hv in this country is our National Assembly n our State governors. They are bunch of criminals

I hv bn shouting this time without number that d problem we hv in this country is our National Assembly n our State governors. They are bunch of criminals. Instead of representing their ppl they are selfishly representing themselves n their families

Money,money and money,is life all about money.Nobody brings in new and workable ideas into the system,all sectors are filled with dull,lazy and wasted cretins,whose main concern is self enrichment,especially that den of thieves called national assembly.When the foundation is faulty,the house find it difficult to stand.Nigeria is built on sandy foundation.pat utomi once said that our legislatures spend most of their time in hotels with women,what a waste.

N150 billion on 469 bot bellied men & women and the youths are unemployed.
I blame the Nigerian youth for allowing these men squander away their future.

This must stop.

TRUTHTOPOWER:
e

Lol. a tint of loyalty in the face of collective injustice is somewhat puzzling. I never said a single individual is responsible. I am challenging the leaders of APC and PDP on this issue. As for presidency, who knows if NASS got inspiration from the manner the executives cut the cake for themselves? An expatriate once joked remarked that it was impossible to embezzle 1000 in his country because the system will collapse. Why? every shilling has a CRITICAL assignment to carry out. This has nothing to do with GEJ alone but the system he inherited. Whether he should be blamed for assenting it at all depends sadly on our belief system.

I am for regionnalism. But before we create a new class of emperors as we have in the states, let us strengthen the capacity of citizens through the instrumentality of law and law enforcement. let us make leadership financially unattractive. How? Transparent Procurement System.
Contracts must be awarded based on market overt prices not covert. money must be paid into a publicly verifiable account. all expenditures from the account must be done by e-transfer. under this system contract inflation and kick backs will be marginal and in some cases nil.

[b]salaries and allowances of the highest paid public servant must not be 3 times higher than that of a Federal University VC. [/b]Tax on property should be paid through bank accounts of property owner. this includes car licensing. Bank accounts will serve as the medium knowing sources of income and the tax payable. In most European countries if you don't have work got will know through your account. if you have assets higher than normal got will come after you for explanation.

What does it take to do this. Legislation. It does not need time for maturity. Before you drive a car of five million as the son or cousin of a politician you must be prepared to answer questions. if you get away when you are driving you will not get away when you are renewing your papers.

What is the effect: industrial creativity to earn legitimate money. willingness to work on the part of gold diggers and "short cutters". available of resources for essential social safety nets. mortgage, health, education and security. once you create this legal frame work. Politicians will not have personal money to sway electoral process. they will rely on people to contribute so as to make the system better. Brothers, this is the point where young intellectuals on Nairaland will put their wonderful skills to test in the soap box. You can then have leaders who came to power not because of God fathers or money but majorly because they have ideas the people bought into.

The bold part means all they have to do is inflate pay of VCs acrosS the country. It will be better if their pay is on a normal civil servant scale.