The House of Representatives said it was cash strapped and, therefore, demanded an increase in its N128b budgetary allocation to enable it perform more effectively its constitutional responsibilities.
Spokesperson of the House chamber, Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia), made the position of the House known on Thursday during an interactive session with journalists.
He advocated a raise in the budget of the House, which is N128 billion for the 2021 budget year.
Read him: “Yes, the house is broke. I have said it before and I am saying it again and I am not afraid of saying it.
“This is the fact until Nigerians believe that the appropriation that was made for the running of the National Assembly, which was done when the exchange rate of naira to the dollar was 180 is less now than what it used to be.
“The dollar equivalent today has gone up to over N400, the purchasing power of the budget as it is now, is weaker than it was 10 years ago.
“Why are you afraid to raise the budget of the National Assembly that will enable us to conduct our services efficiently and effectively.”
Kalu said that “lawmakers appropriate for agencies to run effectively, but the poor budget of the parliament is a disservice to Nigerians.
He said that the N128 billion appropriated for the National Assembly was divided among all the agencies in the parliament, about 6,000 members of staff and legislative aides.
Kalu stated that legislators needed professional experts to work with them to produce laws and motion that would address the needs of the people.
He said: “If you go to U.S., you see professors who are consulting and working directly with members of parliament.”
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