Budget padding: Nigerians in Diaspora urge lawmakers to protect Nigeria’s economy

The United Kingdom chapter of Nigerians In the Diaspora Monitoring Group has stated that it was a global trend, especially under a democratic system for lawmakers to protect their country’s economy rather than padding budget to serve their personal interest.
In an electronic message to DAILY POST in Abuja, the group noted that it was unfortunate that leadership of the country’s lower chamber was engaged in accusations and counter accusations of budget padding, stressing that the economy needs strong policy that will attract foreign investments now that corruption index is going down.

The group said the media war declared by Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations against the House leadership, apparently to gain sympathy from Nigerians would cast slur on the entire institution, hence, it was not in the best interest of the country.
“As Nigerians in Diaspora, we like to state unequivocally that former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin’s media war with the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara would rubbish the integrity of the entire Institution, ” the statement said.
The group emphasized that Nigeria’s legislators should take into cognizance exigency of the time especially economic recession and focus on legislative instruments that will tackle poverty and unemployment.
It said, ” if Dogara sacked the former chairman of House Committee on Appropriations, for any unwholesome practices, it may be in consonance with the anti corruption war of the current administration, hence, it was something personal to the extent of dragging the institution into the mud.”

They further cautioned on the implication of instability in the House of Representatives, while calling on members to guard against taking steps that will give Nigeria a bad name abroad.
The statement further urged NASS to use the opportunity of the proposed constitutional amendment to make sure the process of recalling non performing lawmakers was made simple majority so as to make lawmakers accountable to their constituents.