A former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has expressed dissatisfaction over the reckless spending of Nigerian politicians.
According to a post shared on his official X account on Tuesday, Sani explained that such reckless spending happens because the presentation of the budget to the House of Assembly for approval is a mere formality.
He said this in response to allegations levied on the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, that he used the state’s fund to settle his post-election legal dispute.
The candidate of the Labour Party in the March 18 gubernatorial election in Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, had accused Sanwo-Olu with a supporting document of paying N50 million each to four lawyers who represented him in court.
Reacting to Gbadebo’s allegation against the Lagos state governor, Sani alleged that most State House of Assemblies in Nigeria rubber stamp whatever is presented to them by their governors.
He further alleged that the House members do not have any say because their leaders are carefully selected by the governors to do their bidding.
His post partly reads, “It’s an understatement to call most states House of Assemblies rubber stamps. Their leaderships are mostly carefully selected breeds of stooges. Budget presentations and passages are mere formalities.”
It’s an understatement to call most states House of Assemblies rubber stamps.Their leaderships are mostly carefully selected breed of stooges.Budget presentations and passages are mere formalities.Any House member who tries to question or challenge a Governor on anything can earn…
— Senator Shehu Sani (@ShehuSani) November 21, 2023
Sani also said that any House member who tries to question or challenge a governor on anything he presents before them can earn a suspension for that.
He also decried the fact that most Nigerians don’t know and are indifferent about “what is happening in their states’ Assemblies.”