(SINL NIGERIA) Senator representing Niger South at the 10th Senate, Senator Peter Jiya has canvassed more time for Nigerian parliament for budget scrutiny and approval during appropriation.
Specifically, the lawmaker sought for a period of three months for a thorough legislative work.
Similarly, he advocated for three years review of the budget with regard to a particular project.
Senator Jiya made this known while briefing newsmen on his perspective of the just concluded 2025 budget defence by ministries, departments and agencies.
He said “I think the National Assembly to do a just job and a good job for the nation in terms of budget scrutiny and approval, will require nothing less than three months to be able to do it properly.
“Three months in the sense that we need to scrutinize the expenses. We have a template that possibly gives you a view of what happened last year and what is proposed for the new year.
“But I think as far as the review is concerned, we should have three years down the line having regard to a particular project. In the first year, what was budgeted for it? How much has been voted and expended on it? In the second year, what is the extent of work done and what is left and the quantum of money required to finish the job?
Continuing, Jiya said “that allows the lawmakers to have a critical view of the subject matter and to determine the just resource or fund required to complete the job. But the history of most projects are lost because there is no review of up to three years of what has happened to that project.
“And I think it is not too tidy, it is not too good. Twenty-five years of lawmaking in this dispensation of civilian rule, I think we should have affected that. The other aspect I would like to make an observation on is the issue of distribution of budget defense documents while members are sitting”.
Commenting on the life span of the 2024 that has extended into 2025, he noted that “well, even if one is worried, expediency determines what happens. You have a whole chunk of capital that has not been utilized and the year is gone.
“Do you want to reassess those projects or is it more expedient to extend the lifetime of the budget with a view to be able to utilize the funds allocated to them? And I think I quite agree that we extend it so that those projects will go on.
“Definitely with 2025 budget coming in, it is a build-up on 2024 and where 2024 stops, 2025 will continue” Senator Jiya added.
