By Jubril Bada
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A member of the Pan Yoruba Socio-Cultural Group, Afenifere, Chief Femi Aluko, has kicked against the House of Representatives’ demand for the upward review of the National Assembly budget to cope with the present situation of the country.
Aluko, who criticized members of the National Assembly for not thinking deeply before requesting for the upward review of its budget urged them to have a rethink.
He stated this in an interview with The Hope.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives through its spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu (APC Abia) had earlier said the House was broke and could not carry out its constitutional mandate effectively and needs upward review of its budget.
Aluko who was a former member of the State House of Assembly in the old Ondo State explained that the demand of the House was not tenable in the present economic situation facing the country, which has posed groaning, hungry and angry situation among citizens of the country.
While noting that members of the National Assembly should be the last people to be grumbling about budget, he averred that there was nothing spectacular and extraordinary about their duty that warranted the upward review of their budget.
He asked them to give the performance of last year budget of the House on how it has impacted on ordinary Nigerians.
“l thought the members of the National Assembly should think deeply before coming up with the idea.
“Are they not Nigerians, if they are, does the budget of Nigeria they passed into law meet the present needs of the country?
“l asked the question because Nigerians are groaning, hungry and angry everyday because of the present situation in the country.
“Let each of them go home and look round the people who voted them in and see the state of things in their environments.
“Are they not aware that parents who voted them in have children in higher institutions. What is the state of the economy of those children now?
“Fifty percent of them are now at home because they cannot meet the budget of their institutions, while those who are not in the higher institution cannot even afford three square meals per day,” he stated.
He challenged them to always think twice and be humane by having the interest of the masses at heart than their personal interest.