The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Constituency projects

  • Don challenges lawmakers on constituency projects

    A don, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun has urged the incoming legislators in both the states and National Assemblies to willingly get rid of the provision for constituency projects from their budgets.

    He said this would prove that they have embraced the change for which Nigerians voted them into office.

    Delivering a lecture on “The Role of Legislators in Good Governance” during a Sunday Service at the Archbishop Vining College Of Theology, Akure, the Ondo State capital, Prof. Adamolekun noted that the oversight roles of the lawmakers had always been total failure.

    At the event, which was attended by the State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Jide Adejuyigbe who represented Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the guest lecturer explained that a good number of constituency projects are uncompleted.

    He said: “Since legislators cannot assure oversight over their own projects, the whole idea is an anomaly. More concretely, it is a huge wastage; a significant number of legislators simply convert fund for constituency projects into additional allowances.

    “The idea of legislators’ constituency projects that was first introduced in Africa in Kenya in 2003 must not be allowed to take root in Nigeria. The good news is that Kenya’s Parliamentarians’ Constituency Development Fund Act (2013) was challenged by civil society groups and declared unconstitutional by a High Court in February this year.”

    He also advised the legislators to focus on legislations that would ensure progress towards the achievement of good governance.

     

  • Remove constituency projects from your budgets, don tells lawmakers

    Remove constituency projects from your budgets, don tells lawmakers

    A don, Prof. Ladipo Adamolekun, has urged the incoming legislators in both the States and National Assembly to remove the provision for constituency projects from their annual budgets.

    Taking this measure, according to him, would prove that elected public officials are ready to embrace the change that Nigerians voted for.

    Delivering a lecture on the ‘Role of Legislators in Good Governance’ at the Archbishop Vining College Of Theology, Akure, the Ondo State capital, Adamolekun noted that the oversight roles of lawmakers have been an abysmal failure.

    At the event which was attended by the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Jide Adejuyigbe, who represented the state governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the guest lecturer lamented the non-completion of several constituency projects across the country, added, “Since legislators cannot carry out oversight over their own projects, the whole idea is an anomaly

    “More concretely, it is a huge wastage; a significant number of legislators simply convert funds for constituency projects into additional allowances. The idea of constituency projects by legislators, which was first introduced in Africa in Kenya in 2003, must not be allowed to take root in Nigeria. The good news is that Kenya parliamentarians’ constituency Development Fund Act (2013) was challenged by civil society groups and declared unconstitutional by a high court in February 2015.”

    Adamolekun added that the oversight powers of lawmakers should be used to ensure that government at both the state and federal levels improve the quality of life of the masses.

  • FG begins audit of N100b constituency projects

    The Federal Government has commenced the audit of executed constituency projects in parts of the country, the Minister Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Alhaji Kabiru Turaki, has said.

    The minister, who stated this at a press conference in Abuja, said that the audit of the projects was in line with the Federal Government directive.

    The Federal Government voted the sum of N100 billion for constituency projects of members of the National Assembly in this year’s budget.

    Turaki said that the verification of executed constituency projects was informed by the need to pay for the projects.

    He noted that in its determination to ensure effective execution of the constituency projects of members of the National Assembly, the government has mandated his ministry to verify and recommend for payment, all constituency projects executed by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government.

    The minister said that he had summoned a forum of federal MDAs involved in the implementation of National Assembly constituency projects to brief stakeholders on the critical and expected roles of all MDAs in actualizing the successful implementation of constituency projects.

    He added that the forum would also afford him the opportunity to interact with stakeholders and MDAs on issues emanating from the implementation of constituency projects including the roles of the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs in the realization of the Government’s policy on constituency projects.

     

     

     

  • Rep says he executed constituency projects worth N120m in 2 years

    Rep says he executed constituency projects worth N120m in 2 years

    Hon Olayemi Busari, a member of the House of Representative on the platform of Accord Party (AP), says he has executed constituency projects worth over N120 million between 2011 and 2013.

    Busari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Ibadan that the money was spent to improve the standard of living of the people in his constituency.

    He said that he constructed a three classroom blocks each at Bioku and Aladun Communities in Ona-Ara and another one at Olosan in Egbeda Local Government area of the state.

    “Through my poverty alleviation programme, I have given to people of the constituency 100 motorcycles, 50 sewing machines,  30 deep freezers and cash gift of N40,000 to 200 beneficiaries.

    Busari said he had also provided 16 boreholes in the two local governments and at the same time sunk two drilled well in each of the 22 wards that make up the constituency, bringing the number  to 44 wells.

    He also said that he had facilitated the rehabilitation and refurbishment of PHCN office at Olorunsogo which was burnt down during the protest against the removal of petrol subsidy in January 2012.

    “I have tried within my capacity to secure appointments at the federal level for graduates in my constituency.

    “At least, 235 graduates have secured appointment in the federal civil service, Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, Civil Defence, Federal Road Safety Commission and Military, to mention but a few.”

    He said that N50 million had been budgeted for the execution of many projects in his constituency in 2013.

    Busari, however, said he was able to do all these programmes with total support from both Federal and state Governments.