The Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has proposed cutting back on certain discretionary government services, including activities of the National Assembly, as a way to redirect funds toward tackling rising insecurity in Nigeria.
Ndume suggested that lawmakers could meet less frequently, such as on a quarterly basis, with compensation reflecting the adjusted sitting schedule.
He argued that Nigeria should reduce spending on areas that do not significantly benefit the majority of citizens and focus instead on ensuring public safety.
“Urgently, we must discard everything as far as I am concerned and even if it is necessary to shut down some discretionary services, starting with the National Assembly. You can cut it off and ask us to sit, maybe in a quarter, for example,” he said.
Ndume further highlighted concerns over ongoing recurrent and overhead costs despite the unresolved state of the 2025 budget.
“We sit for some time depending on the workload that we have, and are paid accordingly. And now, the 2025 budget is not running; we are in 2025, but the recurrent and overhead costs are running, and who is benefitting? Less than five per cent of Nigerians, and it is a lot of money. So, why don’t we shut down all these things and use the money to secure the people first?” he stated.