Where are the National Assembly Appropriation Committees?

It is that time of the year again when calculators overheat, coffee runs dry, and the smell of fresh budget allocations fills the air. But if you step into the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly in search of the all-powerful Appropriations Committees, you will be met with empty seats.

The Senate Appropriations Committee room in 224 has been permanently locked in the last couple of days, a quick stroll to the office of the Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Solomon Adeola would leave you wondering if the committee was on leave with its very scanty human presence.

The answer to their whereabouts? A lavish hotel in the heart of Abuja, where they are diligently (we assume) scrutinising the 2025 budget proposal.

The Budget ritual

For those unfamiliar with the National Assembly’s annual ritual, the Appropriations Committees—both in the Red and Green Chambers—are tasked with reviewing, fine-tuning, and, let’s be honest, adjusting figures to “meet the needs” of their respective constituencies and other interests.

But instead of working from their designated offices in the National Assembly, these lawmakers have opted for the serene ambiance of a top-tier Abuja hotel, because nothing screams ‘budget efficiency’ like five-star service and all-you-can-eat buffets.

Last year, precisely on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget proposal in a grand ceremony at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly that was accompanied by the usual fanfare.

Lawmakers nodded, some chanted songs hailing the numero uno person in the country, and others jotted down notes—perhaps calculating allocations before the speech even ended.

The tradition has always been the same: a President walks in with a speech, promises a budget that will transform Nigeria, and the lawmakers receive it with mixed emotions—half anticipation, half knowing smirks.

The document is then dissected by committees, lobbying intensifies, and, eventually, a final version emerges.

Fast forward to 2025, and the same cycle is in full swing, the lawmakers had at the beginning of the year released a work schedule/timetable for the budget defense sessions.

The Appropriations Committees of both chambers had scheduled the presentation of the 2025 Budget report for Friday, January 31, 2025.

This development followed the release of the National Assembly’s detailed timetable for the defense and scrutiny of the proposed budget.

At the budget defense, various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are expected to appear before lawmakers to give an overview of their 2024 spending and justify their revenue projections for 2025.

A memo released stated, “The Senate committees on Appropriations and Finance will on Friday, January 7, by 2 pm, meet with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation.

“Subsequently, joint budget defense sessions between the Appropriations Sub-committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies will commence on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

“These sessions are expected to run until Wednesday, January 15, 2025.”

The memo added, “2025 Budget: Laying/Presentation of the Report by the Appropriations Committee will be on Friday 31st January 2025.”

As planned, the opening meeting with the Ministries of Finance, Budget planning, and others were held and the budget defense sessions started with various standing committees holding sessions with Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

But the committees were unable to finish at the expected date and till now, some are still meeting with agencies.

Subsequently, last Friday, the lawmakers announced the postponement of the resumption of plenary and most importantly, the laying of the budget report from Friday, January 31 to Tuesday, February 4.

However, what is raising eyebrows is the decision by the Appropriations Committees to relocate en masse to an undisclosed (yet widely known) hotel to complete their work. The reason? “Uninterrupted focus,” say sources close to the lawmakers.

Because, of course, the offices within the National Assembly—built precisely for legislative work—suddenly lack the necessary atmosphere for budget scrutiny.

A Costly ‘Retreat’ for National Prosperity

The Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives is the largest of all committees, with over 160 lawmakers. Add to that the Senate’s numerous committee members, civil servants, consultants, and ‘observers,’ and you have an entourage sizeable enough to fill a small stadium.

With each night at this luxury hotel running into hundreds of thousands of naira per person, the cost of this retreat could rival some states’ annual budgets. And yet, here we are.

Lawmakers have assured Nigerians that the report will be “thorough and detailed,” although no one knows how much of that thoroughness is inspired by the comfort of plush mattresses and gourmet meals. But perhaps, we are too cynical—after all, nothing says transparency and fiscal discipline like discussing budget allocations in a setting designed for opulence.

The Final Act: Presentation and Approval

As Tuesday beckons…once the committees have completed their ‘hard work,’ they will return, reports in hand, ready to present their findings.

There will be debates, some lawmakers will passionately argue for more allocations to their constituencies, others will question spending priorities, and, in the end, the budget will pass—with a few tweaks here and there.

By then, the hotel bills will have been settled, the chambers will be filled once again, and the cycle will reset—waiting for another budget season, another retreat, and another round of ‘uninterrupted focus.’

As Nigerians continue to grapple with economic challenges, the question remains: Is this budget-making process truly about the people, or just another annual exercise in political theatre? Either way, one thing is certain—next year, we’ll be right back here, asking the same question: Where are the National Assembly Appropriation Committees?