Constituency project is corruption – Ex-President says

chika ebuzor

August 15, 2017 7:13 AM

Obasanjo also called on the Federal Government to build good roads, so that farmers can move their produce to the buyers.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that allocating funds for constituency projects is a form of corruption.

He said “...I hope our lawmakers will use their position and act positively so that when they put in road projects in the budget they will not turn it into what they now term as constituency projects.

“You and I know what constituency projects mean. It is simply corruption.”

The National Assembly has been accused severally of allocating funds to themselves in the name of constituency projects, which are sometimes not implemented.

Recently, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Welfare, Senator Ali Wakili dismissed the accusations, saying that the executive handles the projects, Vanguard reports.

Wakili said “We are not quite unaware of the great negativism, stereotypes, perception rigidity and the bad public image of the successive assemblies, including ours, since when the constituency intervention project was introduced.

“To some of them, those funds meant for such intervention projects that were aimed at bringing government closer to the people, spread even development, improve the basic needs of the people to fight the scourge of poverty via provision of potable drinking water, health clinics, schools, rural roads and provision of basic amenities of life, are siphoned and misused by the members of the legislature, in active connivance with bureaucrats.

“These people who give us bad names know little or nothing about constituency intervention projects. They feel it is the money set aside that we put in our pocket, which is not true. What we do is to ensure that projects are brought to our constituencies so that they will have a sense of representation.

“This is because the bureaucrats who implement government projects across the country do not even know where some constituencies are located in the country. As such, they often regurgitate projects in urban areas instead of spreading them to rural areas, where they are most needed. That is why we make suggestions about these projects, but implementation is carried out by the executive.”

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Speaking further, Obasanjo also called on the Federal Government to improve the road network across the country, to enable farmers move their produce to the buyers.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said this while speaking at an investment forum organised by the Niger State Government in Minna on Monday, August 14, 2017.

chika ebuzor

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