NASS Constitutional Oversight is to Ensure Accountability Not Witch-hunt – Sen. Nwoko

Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, has said that the National Assembly constitutional oversight on federal government agencies, parastatals and commissions are mainly to seek clarifications where necessary, and ensure accountability in the use of public funds and not for witch-hunt.

Nwoko stated this during a budget defence session between the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on Communications and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

He said that NASS has reaffirmed its commitment to fiscal accountability, saying that the budget defence formed a critical part of the legislature’s constitutional oversight function, providing an opportunity to examine the Commission’s financial proposals.

“The budget defence sessions remain an important part of the legislature’s oversight responsibility, examining proposals, seeking clarity where necessary, and ensuring that public institutions remain accountable in the use of national resources,” he stated.

The Joint Committee reviewed the NCC’s projected expenditures, regulatory priorities, and capital projects, with particular focus on broadband expansion, spectrum management, revenue performance, and alignment with Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

Senator Nwoko emphasized that the telecommunications sector remains strategic to national development, noting that effective regulation and prudent financial management are essential to sustaining growth, consumer protection, and infrastructure expansion.

He added that oversight engagements are designed not merely as procedural exercises but as mechanisms to strengthen institutional performance and guarantee that allocations translate into measurable benefits for citizens.

The review process is expected to continue as the National Assembly finalizes deliberations on the Commission’s budget proposals ahead of passage in the broader appropriation framework.