Former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, has called for a review of the budget allocated to the Senate and House of Representatives to reduce the high cost of governance. Speaking on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, Obanikoro stressed the need for greater transparency in the National Assembly’s budget.
“Democracy has become expensive because we have made it so. In the United States, for example, lawmakers are not provided with accommodation and live on their salary and minimal fringe benefits. Democracy doesn’t have to be this costly,” Obanikoro explained.
He argued that transparency in the legislative budget could mitigate the recent calls for a parliamentary system of government. “If the budget is transparent and citizens can see allocations for each member of the National Assembly online, and contribute to the process, it will make the institution less expensive,” he stated.
Obanikoro suggested that reducing the National Assembly’s budget could address concerns about the bicameral system. “If we cut the budget to a reasonable level, many Nigerians would find it acceptable. There are budgetary provisions that should not exist, and we must be courageous enough to eliminate them,” he added.
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