NASS to Spend N13bn on Refreshment, Travels

Although the renumeration of each member is still undisclosed, the National Assembly’s decision to publish its 2017 budget as part of its ‘Open NASS’ campaign has made some of its projected expenses have become public knowledge.

Some of the allocations noted in the document have raised eyebrows. An example is “Cleaning services for the NASS Phase III Building”, which will cost N606, 916,919; ” printing of non-security documents” which will cost N20, 546,748; “Budget Coordination Activities” which will cost N197, 665,920 and “constitution amendment”, which will cost N640, 584,000.

According to a breakdown by Punch, “The National Assembly is to spend over N13bn on refreshment, transportation and welfare packages in 2017, estimates of its new budget show.

“Both the Senate and the House of Representatives budgeted about N11.5bn for general travels and transportation (local and international) in the next fiscal year, excluding the allocation for vehicles. Senate will spend N3, 777,114,399 and House of Representatives will spend N7, 722,489,596 for the same purpose.

“The lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly will also spend a total sum of N1.3bn on refreshment and meals. The item will cost the Senate N409, 973,760, while the House will spend N913, 289,760 for the same purpose.

“While both chambers made zero allocation for honorarium, their welfare packages will gulp N539, 760,392; N398, 168,712 in the House and N141, 591,680 in the Senate…

“Refreshment and meals will cost the Senate committee N14, 417,492, while the House committee will spend N16, 748,428, bringing the total to N31, 165,920.

“On honorarium, a total sum of N60, 220,882 will be spent by the committees. In the Senate, it will cost N24, 232,712 and N35, 988,170 in the House”.