The National Assembly has received knocks for increasing the number of standing committees in both chambers of parliament.
A parliamentary watchdog, Friends in the Gap Advocacy Initiative, condemns the recent increase in standing committees, saying this runs at cross purposes with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve at cutting down the cost of governance.
Recall that the President has indicated that some ministers-designate will have no portfolios because the country is broke.
The Senate had increased standing committees from 57 to 65, with the House of Representatives increasing its committees from 89 to 95.
George Oji, executive director of the organisation, described the development as unnecessary and out of tune with present economic realities in the country.
“The least we expect from our elected representatives is to key into the philosophy of the present executive arm of government and seek ways of drawing down on the high cost of governance, especially recurrent expenditure, in response to the current dwindling resources of our economy,” Oji said in a statement.
Reacting to the rejection of N5,000 stipend for unemployed Nigerians by All Progressives Congress (APC) senators at Wednesday’s plenary, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the development confirmed that APC was a party of hypocrites, “who never had the intentions of honouring any of their campaign promises.”
Olisa Metuh, PDP national publicity secretary, in a statement, said Nigerians should not expect any sincere action from the APC-led government on the other campaign promises, including monthly allowance to discharged but unemployed NYSC members, free meals and scholarship to school children, free houses, bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar.
