Budget Padding and Appropriation in Nigeria: An Appraisal of Legislative Powers in an Evolving Democracy

Abstract

The return in 1999 to civilian rule and constitutional democracy in Nigeria gave rise to the re-emergence of governmental structures and institutions that hitherto were suspended and underutilized. Military rule had grown an over pampered and powered executive arm of government which was transmuted unto a supposed democratic setting. The legislative arm of government is thus a nascent organ with adapted tenets and procedures that are yet to be fully domesticated. This paper therefore examines the roles of the legislature in appropriation with the intents of determining if it has powers to alter, change and or make further budgetary provisions. The study adopted extensive use of secondary data that were analyzed content wise and surmised that whereas the Executive manages the national economy that the legislature through its powers of appropriation authorizes withdrawals from the Consolidated Revenue Fund in order to foster good governance of Nigeria.