N17b Budget Reduction: The National Assembly Finally Asserts Itself .

The National Assembly in the past and present have found it difficult to exonerate itself  from negative news and reports on a daily basis . From the now infamous Siemens bribery case, to Obasanjo's third term bribery scam,
to Ndudi Elumelu's scam power project  and the Adolphus Wabara's budget bribery case, the list is endless to mention.

In the part on only on one occasion did the National Assembly make the electorates proud and that was when they flawed the third term project of then President Olusegun Obasanjo after the president tried to change the constitution to enable him rule for another five years, after he had finished his constitutional eight year tenure.  These Senators on their part are paid bogus allowances in the name of constituency projects which ends up in their individual bank accounts. Even the Senate President , Senator Bukola Saraki is not left out as he is currently on trial at the Code of Conduct Bureau Tribunal on charges of non- declaration of assets while the governor of Kwara State(2003- 2011). Even Saraki's left Toyin is not left out as she was questioned by the operatives of the EFCC last year for corruption and embezzlement charges while she was the First Lady of the state.

It is based on this note that the National Assembly should be commended for exposing the inflated national budget scam in the present administration . Such was the inflation that it failed to match with reality . Even several ministers who came on the floor of the Assembly could not properly defend their ministries budget as the loopholes were exposed. The bitter truth is that the president demonstrated he was up to something when he did not follow due process in the budgeting process . This was exposed by Saraki and his colleagues on each occasion . The president shortly after passing the budget, may have played a role in the stealing of the budget from the National Assembly as his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters Senator Etah Enang was fingered in the dirty incident.  Shortly after it's miraculous return, it was exposed again that the figures had been inflated and did not represent what the ministers has submitted .

The National Assembly again have reduced the budget from N6.077 trillion to N6.060 trillion , which is a reduction of N17b, before passing it. While N17b isn't what was really expected as it was obvious that it could be reduced more, on the same vein it shows a good sign and beginning by Saraki and his colleagues. With little steps like these we will surely make progress. For the first time since inauguration the National Assembly has done that expected of them though not fully. N17b might be too small but it shows that the National Assembly have come to assert themselves and shone they are not an extension of the executive.