A senior staff in the National Assembly, Ifeoma Ofili, has made explosive allegations of widespread corruption among federal lawmakers, accusing them of accepting bribes, falsifying reports, and diverting staff welfare funds.
Ofili, a director in the House of Representatives and former Clerk of the House Committee on Local Content, spoke during a retreat organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja on June 27. Her comments, captured in a viral video, have triggered public outrage and renewed scrutiny of legislative accountability.
According to Ofili, legislators often collect bribes from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) during oversight visits. She alleged that lawmakers receive cash, accommodation, and flight tickets from the very institutions they are meant to scrutinise — a practice she said completely erodes legislative integrity.
“You go there, they tell you what to write, they give you money, lodge you, fly you, and then members fight over the money. But the clerk or committee assistants don’t get anything,” she said. “Worse still, you are forced to write a report on events you never witnessed. As a Catholic, I just go to confession first.”
Ofili also revealed that public hearing reports are often written by consultants who were not present at the hearings. In one case, she resisted pressure to cooperate with a hired consultant. “I told him I won’t give him material to write what he didn’t witness,” she said. “I typed my report myself and submitted it. If they want to alter it, they can, but the original is in my system.”
The senior official further accused lawmakers of collapsing and misappropriating budget lines earmarked for staff training, healthcare, and welfare. She decried a culture where funds meant for civil servants are quietly diverted under vague budget categories.
“Lawmakers come on TV to bash erring MDAs, but who punishes the atrocities committed in the National Assembly?” she asked. “We don’t even follow the proper budget process. Staff allowances are collapsed and re-channeled. We can’t speak out because of the oath of secrecy.”
Ofili painted a bleak picture of the condition of NASS staff, especially retirees who she said often wait years to receive entitlements. Some, she noted, are left destitute and resort to begging colleagues for money to fuel their cars.
“So apart from what they eat themselves, they’re also eating ours,” she said. “We are still citizens first before being staff, and yet we’re silenced.”
Ofili, who is nearing retirement, said she no longer fears backlash. “My mother says she dances not for money but to be seen. I will say what needs to be said,” she declared.
The bold revelations have sparked calls on social media for a formal investigation into legislative practices and protection for whistleblowers within the National Assembly.