Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan yesterday said the 2018 Budget of the National Assembly would be made public.
The federal lawmakers’ budget has been shrouded in secrecy over the years.
But Senator Shehu Sani recently revealed that each senator takes home N13.5 million monthly as running cost, which they retire, in addition to N750, 000 monthly pay and allowance for constituency projects.
Lawan, briefing reporters on the objectives of the “Open NASS’’ initiative designed to increase public access to the operations of the National Assembly, said: “Increasingly, governments around the world are promoting initiatives in transparency?
“Governments that are open and transparent are more accountable to their citizens and are less likely to be corrupt.
“Openness generates trust in government and also paves the way for meaningful participation by citizens and more informed and better policies.
“Around the world, an increasing number of parliaments are being more proactive in the provision of information.
“This has become easier with the proliferation of the internet and access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT).”
Lawan heads the Special Committee set up to organise “Open Week Event’’ which is scheduled for June 25 to June 29 at the National Assembly Complex.
He described the initiative as an evolving one, adopted by parliaments all over the world.
Lawan emphasised that the event would broaden public understanding of legislative functions and processes and engender interactions between legislators and key stakeholders.
“Series of activities during the `Open Week’ will include interactive sessions with various interest groups and question and answer sessions.
“It also includes exhibitions and tours, planned over a four-day period to raise awareness on legislative initiative and activities,’’ Lawan said.
He said that the interactive sessions would feature members of the executive arm of government on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and the judiciary on pre- and post-elections adjudication.
“Others are constitutional separation of powers, a session with state assemblies and a session with trade unions on economic growth and industrial relations.
“Also, there will be sessions with traditional rulers and pressure groups, civil society organisations on accountability and service delivery in governance as well as sessions with women, youth, and student bodies.
“The exercise will feature daily exhibitions for National Assembly committees to display their outputs and interface with stakeholders via cluster units to be created from both chambers for ease of access.
“The benefits of the Open Week are numerous and have direct bearing on democratic governance in Nigeria.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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