CIVIL Society Organisations on Saturday challenged the presiding officers of the National Assembly to disclose details of the 2022 budget of the Federal Parliament.

The nation’s apex legislative institution got a total amount of N134bn from the N16.39trn 2022 federal budget announced by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday.

President of the Senate in the 8th National Assembly, Bukola Saraki, had on April 12, 2019, released a summarised version of the National Assembly’s 2018 budget.

The current Chairman of the National Assembly, who is also the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had pledged to provide comprehensive financial details of the nation’s Parliament while seeking the mandate of his colleagues, as contained in his published agenda.

But the presiding officer had yet to fulfill his promise since he took over in June 11, 2019.

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However, the heads of civil society groups, who spoke with our correspondents on the issue, lamented the development, and noted that it had become a burden of accountability on the part of the federal legislature.

The Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson, said, “The continued refusal of the National Assembly to disclose breakdown of its annual budgets has become a burden of accountability on the legislative arm of government.”

He added, “One wonders why it is difficult for the National Assembly to understand that putting up a breakdown of its budget for the Nigerian people will make it possible for the public to see how and where allocated funds are spent.”

Similarly, the General Secretary of the Campaign for Democracy, Ifeanyi Odili, said non-disclosure of the National Assembly budget details could encourage corruption.