As Nigeria stands on the edge of a nationwide protest fueled by escalating economic difficulties, the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has sharply criticized the National Assembly’s decision to take a recess, denouncing it as “insensitive” and “irresponsible.”
In a statement released on Thursday, Mr. Akingunola Omoniyi, NEFGAD’s Country Head of Office, condemned the lawmakers for prioritizing personal leisure over national welfare. He compared their actions to a parent abandoning a house engulfed in flames.
“No responsible parent goes to bed while their house is on fire, but the 10th Assembly seems to have forgotten their duty to the nation, acting like carefree tourists in pursuit of pleasure,” Omoniyi remarked. “The protest has escalated to a national emergency with unpredictable outcomes, making the National Assembly’s role even more critical.”
NEFGAD has urged the National Assembly to delay their recess, cautioning that their absence could worsen the situation. The group stressed that the lawmakers’ role in addressing the root causes of the protest is paramount and that their current break serves only to advance their personal interests rather than addressing national concerns.
The Senate and House of Representatives announced their annual recess on Tuesday following the passage of key legislation, including the minimum wage law, President Bola Tinubu’s request to increase the 2024 budget by N6.2 trillion, and an amendment to the 2023 Finance Act. While some committees are scheduled to meet this week and next, both chambers are set to reconvene on September 17.
