Nigerian lawmakers pressure officials to manipulate budgets for their gains – Jega

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, recounted on Wednesday, his experience of how members of the National Assembly pressure public officials to manipulate the national budgets for their own gains.

Mr Jega said this in his keynote address at the Anti-corruption Training for Norm and Behaviour Change, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He described corruption in the public sector as a “significant impediment” to Nigeria’s development and critiqued the pressures top officials face, particularly from the legislative branch.

“There are people—there may be legislators here—but I want to say it quite categorically—they put people under very difficult positions to do their job, even with the right mindset,” he said.

He recalled how some legislators attempted to influence budget allocations and secure contracts, undermining public officials’ efforts to maintain integrity.

Reflecting on his time at INEC, he described it as a “trial of endurance,” noting the constant pressures from lawmakers to manipulate the agency’s budget and contracts.

“Resisting these pressures required a thick skin,” he said. “It’s important to avoid vulnerabilities that could be exploited for compliance.”

He also criticised the widespread corruption culture across government branches and called for institutional reforms.

The National Assembly has been at the centre of various corruption scandals involving budget manipulations over the years.

The handling of constituency projects is a rampant and recurrent example of this.

A series of ICPC reports have uncovered the misuse of public funds by members of the National Assembly in connivance with government agencies through the padding of the national budget for constituency projects that are mostly poorly or not executed.

ICPC’s constituency project tracking reports have revealed a series of violations allegedly committed by federal lawmakers with the complicity of some officials of the executing ministries, departments, and agencies of the federal government.

The immediate-past ICPC Chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, said in one of the reports that as of 2019, an estimated N2 trillion had been budgeted for zonal intervention projects, also called constituency projects, since 2000. He added that despite the huge releases citizens continued to make agitations about “shoddy completion, non-completion or outright non-existence of these projects in their locale”.

Mr Jega emphasised the need for strong leadership in addressing systemic corruption.

Institutional and cultural reforms

He argued that without comprehensive changes in the judiciary and other key institutions, corruption will persist.

He said the culture of corruption is entrenched by traditional titles given to public officials, which he believes encourage subservience and unethical practices.

“Once it starts small, it keeps growing,” he noted, advocating for a reevaluation of how such titles influence governance.

He also emphasised the need to bolster whistleblower protections and improve the process for incentivizing individuals to report corruption.

Mr Jega’s recommendations included stronger safeguards for whistleblowers, youth engagement, and enhanced public sector training to nurture a new generation of ethical leaders.

Call to supports anti-corruption efforts

In support of Jega’s statement, ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu urged heads of federal ministries, departments, and agencies to strengthen anti-corruption frameworks.

He warned that failure to do so would lead to investigations and prosecutions.

“The havoc that corruption has done to the public service and our nation cannot be quantified,” Mr Aliyu stated, emphasising the need for unwavering leadership in the anti-corruption fight.

Mr Aliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), stressed the importance of vigilance against internal pressures that could lead to misconduct.

He called for careful oversight within organisations to prevent corruption from slipping through the cracks.

“The purpose of this session is to ensure that Chief Executives develop strategies to avoid becoming complicit in corrupt practices,” he said.

Building integrity in public service

The Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Abdullahi Bello, agreed that there is a need for integrity in public service.

He warned against the risks posed by intermediaries who facilitate corruption, urging vigilance in identifying potential corrupters within leadership circles.

“Look closely at third parties who have unusually close access to leadership,” he advised.

Group photo of participants

A unified approach to tackle corruption

In a goodwill message, Adegboyega Awomolo, Chairman of the Nigerian Body of Benchers, emphasised how systemic failures in enforcing institutional rules contribute to corruption.

He called for stronger compliance mechanisms across all government branches.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, Kayode Akiolu, reiterated the legislature’s commitment to supporting anti-corruption initiatives.

As the forum ended, the leaders emphasised the importance of integrity, vigilance, and leadership in the fight against corruption.

They reinforced the need for proactive efforts within Nigeria’s public institutions to combat graft and ensure that public resources benefit the wider population rather than personal interests.