BREAKING: Saraki Releases NASS 2018 Budget Details To Public

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has released details of National Assembly’s 2018 budget to the public.

In fulfillment of the commitment of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly to accountability and transparency, Saraki announced this on his verified Twitter handle on Friday.

In a tweet addressed to BudgIT, Saraki stated:

“Dear @BudgITng:

“Find the details of the 2018 Budget of the National Assembly here.

“This is in accordance with the commitment of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly to accountability and transparency. #OpenNASS.”

The Senate President then attacked the LINK of the 45-page document as follows:

http://nass.gov.ng/document/download/10247

The move followed the pressure mounted on the Senate by BudgIT, the Nigeria’s civic tech organisation that prides itself inraising the standards of transparency, citizen engagement and accountability most especially in public finance.

BudgIT, a non-governmental organisation [NGO], had on its handle tweeted:

“Senate Pres. @bukolasaraki has re-assured that details of NASS 2018/19 budgets would be made public.

“Saraki, yesterday at a dialogue session with BudgIT on appropriation process and constituency projects, vowed that #OpenNASS is now a PERMANENT POLICY.

“Will this “policy” stand?

BudgIT said that during a meeting with the Senate President on Thursday, it challenged the Senate President to make it a legacy by “sealing the National Assembly with a legislation that makes it legally binding,” for it to make its annual budget public.

BudgIT said Saraki responded by re-assuring it that details of the National Assembly’s 2018/19 budgets would be made public.

“Saraki, yesterday at a dialogue session with BudgIT on appropriation process and constituency projects vowed that making the National Assembly appropriation public is now a permanent policy,” BudgIT  said; expressing concerns if the policy would stand when Saraki leaves the National Assembly in May.