Bolaji Owasanoye, chairman of
the Independent Corrupt Practices and
other related offences Commission (ICPC), says the executive arm of government
in Nigeria is more corrupt than the legislative and judicial arms.
According to Rasheedat Okoduwa,
ICPC spokesperson, Owasanoye made the comment while delivering a lecture at the
induction for new legislators in Abuja.
Tagged “The legislature and fight
against graft and corruption”, Owosanoye described corruption as the enemy of
development and good governance.
Noting that Nigeria has the
highest paid legislators representing the poorest people in the world, he said
the national assembly budget had increased, over the years, for the same number
of legislators without defensible legal or moral justification.
He added that the public
perception of legislators as being corrupt will be sustained unless the
assembly makes its yearly budget public.
“Corruption in the executive is
far more than the legislature and judiciary combined. This is because the
executive spends a far bigger chunk of the money appropriated,” Owosanoye was
quoted to have said.
“This gives room for allegations
of abuse and misappropriation of the funds. It is believed that we have the
highest paid legislators representing the poorest people in the world.
“Since 1999, national assembly
budget has increased without defensible legal or moral justification. Without
increase in membership and addition of only one or two agencies, national
assembly budget grew from N6.9 billion in 1999 to N139 billion in 2018.
“The problem is that it is just a
single line item; the public is hardly told the breakdown and how it is used.
The criticisms will disappear if we are told how it is spent.
“The Legislature must wake up to
its role of oversight over Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to curb
the menace.”
Responding, Femi Gbajabiamila,
majority leader of the house of representatives, said he had canvassed for a
complete disclosure of the budget of the national assembly to put an end to the
numerous accusations of corruption against members.
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