El-Rufai Hits Back at N’Assembly, Insists on Transparency, Accountability

John Shiklam

The Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, yesterday hit back at the National Assembly, insisting that its budget should be made public.

The governor in a statement by his spokesman, Samuel Aruwan, regretted that rather than responding to his admonition on the imperative of budget transparency, the National Assembly leadership was taking the issues personally.

He said it was inconceivable that an important institution, vested by the constitution with representation, lawmaking and oversight powers, has for years ignored the imperative to set an example of transparency, despite being severally urged to do so.

The statement said those entrusted with high office would justify their abdication of the responsibility to be transparent in such cavalier fashion.

According to it, the statement, “The House of Representatives has responded with predictable etchings to a simple and clear demand that details of the National Assembly budget be made public.

“It is inconceivable that an important institution, vested by the constitution with representation, lawmaking and oversight powers, has for at least seven years ignored the imperative to set an example of transparency, despite being severally urged to do so.

“Despite the rush to personal attacks on a matter of public policy, we cannot allow the enthronement of the republic of distraction. It is important that everyone who is interested in protecting and advancing democratic discourse should stay focused on the issue.”

The statement said however that “notwithstanding the intemperate response of the spokesman of the House of Representatives, the demand that the National Assembly budget be made public will not go away.

“It is not personal, and there is a strong civic constituency that is demanding it.”

He said the sooner all public officials recognised that the game has changed and that segments of civil society and citizens of Nigeria are much more aware, astute and advanced than the state of our polity, the better for democratic health.

The statement read further: “Since the National Assembly began conceiving its budget as a single-line item, how many legislators, not to mention other citizens, have seen the details of the budget?

“Can anyone recall seeing the spending patterns and details in any published audited accounts of National Assembly recently?

“By contrast, all state governments present their audited accounts to their state Houses of Assembly as required by law.

“The federal statutory agencies that National Assembly cites as not having their budgets reflected in the national budget submit details of their budgets to the National Assembly for review and approval.

“How, in the 21st century, can we have any national institution that is comfortable with not being subject to any oversight, audit or external scrutiny. “The constitutional principle of checks and balances was not introduced for purposes of idle luxury, but to ensure that every institution exercises its power in an accountable manner.”

He explained that the Kaduna State Government had presented details of its security budget, stressing that the security budget represents the only security vote for the entire government as there is no security vote for the Governor of Kaduna State.