It also urged them to publish details of the National Assembly budget of N344.85 billion including the proposed spending details of the N3 billion for the Senate Car Park and N3 billion budgeted for the House of Representatives Car Park.
SERAP, in a statement by Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said: “Passing appropriation bills that are inconsistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution is a fundamental breach of the constitutional oath of office by the lawmakers.
“The arbitrary increase by the lawmakers of their budgetary allocation if not cut would have significant fiscal consequences and exacerbate the country’s debt crisis.”
The statement reads: “The unilateral and self-serving increase by the lawmakers of their allocation also offends the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances and the notion of the rule of law.
“The increase in the National Assembly budget raised serious questions in the minds of the Nigerian people about how the lawmakers are spending their commonwealth.
“The National Assembly ought to be more responsible to the public interest and more responsive to it. The National Assembly has a constitutional responsibility to combat waste and abuse in its spending if it is to effectively exercise its oversight functions and hold the government to account.
“Transparency and accountability in public administration is an essential element of democracy. Transparency in the spending of the National Assembly budget would give the public a tool to hold the lawmakers accountable.
“It would also protect Nigerians from any potential abuses of governmental or legislative power that may exist.
