NASS budget office must be strengthened for efficiency – Lawan

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has said efforts must be made to strengthen the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO) to ensure efficiency in the discharge of its functions.

Lawan stated this Wednesday after a bill seeking to provide for the establishment of the National Assembly Budget and Research Office scaled second reading during plenary.

He said such efforts include providing the needed legal backing and funding to enable the office perform its duties effectively.

He said: “This (NABRO) is an office that already exists, because I recall in 2000 that about 22 years or so, ago, the then House of Reps introduced the bill seeking to establish NABRO.

“I’m aware that office was established by the National Assembly, but there is no law backing it.

“[And] this effort by Senator Sadiq Umar Suleiman is to provide the legal framework, the legal backing necessary for that institution to have the legitimacy that is necessary.

“I’m also aware the office hardly does anything, not because the people are not competent enough, but because they have not been enabled.

“I think it behoves the National Assembly to make funds available for institutions that will make its activities more effective and efficient.”