Former presidential liaison to the National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang, has highlighted the nation’s economic challenges, attributing them to the National Assembly’s failure to discharge its mandate effectively.
Enang made these remarks during the public presentation of Oversight Magazine in Abuja. The magazine, dedicated to parliamentary reportage, was published by former House of Representatives member, Aniekan Umanah.
Speaking at the event, Senator Ita Enang, who had previously chaired both the House and Senate Committees on Rules and Business, emphasized that the National Assembly had not fulfilled its obligation to publish reports of its oversight functions, as required by law.
He said, “It is the fault of the National Assembly for failing to do their oversight function. If the National Assembly were able, they would ask questions. When you pass a budget, you embark on oversight to see how much of that budget has been released and to what extent the projects in that budget have been executed.
“After that, you bring a report to the floor stating how much has been released and to what extent that project has been executed. You will then know how much is needed to complete those projects that will be included in next year’s budget and what to project in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework in the next three years to exit that project.
“So, the failure of the Nigerian economy, the collapse of the naira and the unimaginable debt of Nigeria is the failure of the National Assembly.”
He criticized the National Assembly for not scrutinizing budget execution and debt management effectively, stating, “Again, the National Assembly never asked, where is the account of the last budget because under the law, you are expected to receive that report, see the extent of compliance before you agree for the President to come and present the next budget.”
Enang expressed concern that the National Assembly had not published reports of its oversight functions, hindering effective accountability.
Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Oluwole Oke, echoed Enang’s sentiments, questioning the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight. He emphasized the need for adequate funding and capacity building within the National Assembly to facilitate effective oversight.
Both Enang and Oke stressed the crucial role of the media in holding democratic institutions accountable. Oke highlighted the media’s role as a public watchdog, stating, “The oversight function of the media over democratic institutions cannot be over emphasised because it serves as backbone of accountability and oversight of democracy.”