Senator Solomon Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, has restated the National Assembly’s responsibility to ensure equal development across Nigeria.
Speaking at the 2nd Annual Retreat of the Remo Traditional Council in Sagamu, Ogun State, on the 6th of July, 2025, the senator emphasised that every region deserves fair inclusion in national development plans.
The event featured a lecture titled “The Role of Legislature in Shaping a Holistic Budget for Nigeria,” and was held under the chairmanship of the Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Babatunde Ajayi.
Adeola, who represents Ogun West Senatorial District, pointed out that the budget goes beyond figures and is a policy tool aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians.
“The legislature has the duty to ensure that no part of the country is neglected,” he said.
He explained that lawmakers make budget inputs based on the needs of their respective constituencies, which is often misrepresented. “And let us note that the needs of each area of Nigeria in terms of development are multi-faceted and diverse,” he added.
“This is why each senator and member of the House of Representatives is expected to make inputs based on the needs of their constituents and constituencies for possible inclusion in the budget. If successful, this is not budget padding or insertions, but using legislative power for the interest of the people.”
Adeola criticised the persistent use of terms like “budget padding,” “insertions,” and “constituency projects” to discredit the legislature. He said such expressions had wrongly shaped public perception.
“There is a lot of misinformation and sometimes outright falsehood out there on the issue of budget in Nigeria. The legislature is often wrongly portrayed as the villain in our budgeting process,” he said.
He maintained that what many describe as corrupt practices are actually legal interventions by the legislature.
“Accusations relating to the budget like ‘budget padding,’ ‘insertions’ and ‘constituency projects’ are regularly thrown around in the media against the legislature, creating confusion and casting aspersions on parliamentarians among citizens.”
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The senator stressed that constituency projects are executed by government ministries and agencies, not legislators themselves.
Therefore, it’s misleading to accuse lawmakers of mismanaging budgeted funds.
He reminded the audience that Sections 80 to 84 of the 1999 Constitution clearly give the National Assembly full control over public funds.
“This power means that before any kobo is spent from the national treasury, it must first be approved by the National Assembly,” he stated.
Adeola also called for more public education on the budget process to counter widespread misunderstanding.
On constitutional review, he pledged support for assigning formal responsibilities to traditional rulers, acknowledging their key roles in governance, peace, and local development.
In his remarks, Oba Babatunde Ajayi commended Adeola for his visible projects in the state, including the installation of solar-powered streetlights at the palace. He said the retreat aimed to deepen understanding of national issues and draw more development to Remoland.
The monarch further advocated for the establishment of a federal educational institution and the creation of Ijebu state.