The Senate, on Friday,
came under attack over a plan to allocate 20 per cent of the national budget
(N1.4tn) for constituency projects.
Socio-political groups
and experts, in separate interviews with Saturday
Punch on Friday, said the demand for N1.4tn for constituency
projects, clearly indicated that the lawmakers were insensitive to the plight
of Nigerians.
They noted that the
lawmakers had not given a good account of themselves in handling the projects.
The Senate had on
Thursday, approved for further legislative work, a bill seeking to reserve 20
per cent of annual budgets for its members to execute constituency projects
exclusive of the executive arm of government.
Going by the projected
budget of N7.2tn for 2017, which President Muhammadu Buhari is to present to
the joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, the lawmakers are
expected to get the sum of N1.4tn allocation for constituency projects.
Condemning the
proposal, groups and individuals including the Campaign for Democracy and the
convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and
Businessmen, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, said it was another way of increasing
corruption in the country.
President of the Campaign
for Democracy, Bako Usman, said that the National Assembly members should
concentrate on their oversight functions.
Speaking on the
development, some experts described the move by the Senate as premature.
The Head, Banking and
Finance Department, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Uche Uwaleke, said that
while the country needed to develop the rural communities through investment in
constituency projects, channeling it through lawmakers would not guarantee the
needed result.
In his comment, a
former Managing Director, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Rislanudeen Mohammed, said as far
as budget implementation was concerned, constituency projects had never been
effective.
He said,
“Constituency projects have never been effective as far as budget
implementation is concerned.”
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