The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, “To cut the proposed budget of N9.4bn on travels, refreshment/meals and foodstuff/catering materials for the presidency, and the proposed N344.85bn for the lawmakers, and to use the savings to address the budget deficit.”

SERAP urged Akpabio and Abbas “to request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, which reflects the reduced presidency budget and National Assembly budget, for the approval of the National Assembly.”

It also urged Akpabio and Abbas “to promptly disclose the detailed breakdown of the proposed National Assembly budget of N344.85bn, including the details for personnel costs, salaries and allowances of lawmakers.”

SERAP also urged Akpabio, and Abbas “to invite the heads of the alleged corrupt ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to explain the whereabouts of the missing billions of naira of public funds, as documented in the recently released 2021 audited report by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

In the letter dated December 21, 2024, signed by SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “Any proposed unnecessary spending by the presidency and the National Assembly would amount to a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended].”

SERAP said, “The proposed huge spending is neither necessary nor in the public interest, especially in the face of the country’s dire economic situation and the level of proposed borrowing to fund the 2025 budget.”

The letter read in part: “Should the National Assembly and its leadership fail to reduce the unnecessary spending and tackle the systemic corruption in MDAs, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to compel the National Assembly to discharge its constitutional oversight and fiduciary responsibilities.

“The National Assembly seems to budget the same amounts in the 2025 budget for the same budget items in the 2024 budget.

“It would be a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for the members of the National Assembly to approve unnecessary spending for themselves and the presidency.

“Many Nigerians will find it quite odd, unfair and unjust that the government and lawmakers are spending so much money on many of these items in the middle of a public borrowing crisis.

“The proposed spending could be better allocated to improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services.

“Cutting unnecessary spending by the presidency and the National Assembly would show that the National Assembly can discharge its constitutional responsibility of amplifying the voices of Nigerians.”