Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has stressed that the Nigerian parliament must move beyond routine budget approvals to ensuring that public funds yield measurable results for citizens.
Speaking through House Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere at the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance in Abuja on Monday, Abbas said fiscal governance must be rooted in transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
Themed “Fiscal Governance in Nigeria: Charting a New Course for Transparency and Sustainable Development”, the conference focused on strengthening institutional practices for better service delivery.
“Fiscal transparency should no longer be confined to elite technocrats and auditors; it must become a democratic right,” Abbas said.
He noted that the 10th House of Representatives has prioritized simplifying audit reports, introducing citizen scorecards, performance dashboards, and open budget portals to make government spending more accessible to the public.
According to Abbas, the House has transformed fiscal oversight into a results-driven process, expanding committee functions, engaging strategically with the Office of the Auditor-General, and enhancing follow-up mechanisms for previous audit findings.
“True legislative triumph lies not in passing budgets, but in ensuring that appropriated funds lead to tangible public outcomes,” he added.
Abbas revealed that reforms have been introduced to shift from input-based to performance-based budgeting, including public debates on appropriation bills and on-site inspections to track real-world impact of budgetary allocations.
Also speaking, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Abdul Ningi, warned heads of MDAs against disregarding legislative invitations, particularly from Public Accounts Committees.
“Refusal to honour legislative summons is unacceptable. Without accountability, there will be no prosperity. Without discipline, there will be no development,” Akpabio said.
Chairman of the House Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam, emphasized the importance of reforming public sector financial management, stating that the nation’s future depends on effective fiscal governance.
“Our progress is tied to how well we manage public funds. Fighting corruption and ensuring accountability is a sacred duty we must uphold,” Salam declared.
