DON’T THREATEN ME, HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON YOUR ALLOCATIONS- EZEKWESILI TASKS LAWMAKERS Former Nigeria’s Education Minister ,Dr Oby Ezekwesili has urged Nigerian lawmakers to address issues bordering on their allocations transparently , instead of hauling “ verbal assaults and threats” at her. She said this in reaction to the disquiet by federal lawmakers over her presentation on Monday to a CISLAC forum on the cost of governance in Nigeria. Aside from urging the lawmakers to stop threatening her ,she also urged them to hold a public hearing on the allocations to the National Assembly. Ezekwesili said, “ I wish to state with absolute respect for our lawmakers and our institution that it will be more valuable and enriching for our democracy if instead of the abusive language of their recent reaction, the NASS immediately offered me and the rest of the Nigerian public, the opportunity of a Public Hearing on their Budgetary Allocation and the very relevant issue of their remuneration. Doing so would be consistent with Global Practice across countries of the world where emphasis is on tenets of Open Budget to enable citizens to track to the disaggregated level all use of public resources across every Arm and Level of Government. In the United States for example anyone can find the US House of Representatives Statement of payment to each member of the House of Representative on the website -disbursements.house.gov/. “I shall make myself available to the NASS as soon as it decides to host a Public Hearing on this and other related issues of the lawmakers’ interest.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 18:40:10 +0000