We Can’t Run Our Constitutional Duty Because We Are Broke – Reps

The House of Representatives has said that the Green Chamber is broke and cannot carry out its constitutional duty effectively.

The spokesperson for the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, said this on Thursday while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.

The lawmaker said the budget of the National Assembly needed to be reviewed upward to enable the lawmakers to cope with the situation.

“Yes the House is broke, I have said it before and I am saying it again and I am not afraid of saying it.

“This is the fact until Nigerians believe that the appropriation that was made for the running of the National Assembly which was done when the exchange rate of naira to the dollar was 180 is less now than what it used to be.

“The dollar equivalent today has gone up to over N400, the purchasing power of the budget as it is now, is weaker than it was 10 years ago,” he said.

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The spokesperson added that he had fought with the leadership of the House and he has asked them the question.

“Why are you afraid to raise the budget of the National Assembly that will enable us to conduct our services efficiently and effectively.

“We appropriate for agencies to run effectively and yet, we are in penury trying to run our own constitutional mandate, it is a disservice to Nigerians and the poor budget of the parliament is a disservice to Nigerians,” he said.

Kalu explained that the N128 billion appropriated for the National Assembly was divided among all the agencies in the parliament with about 6,000 members of the staff and lawmakers’ aides.

He said that the legislators needed experts to work with them to produce laws and motions that would address the news of the people.

“If you go to U.S., you see professors who are consulting and working directly with members of parliament,” he said.