On-senates-move-to-legalize-constituency-projects-the-need-for-nigerian-lawmakers-to-strictly-mind-their-statutory-roles
September 7, 2020 | News
ON SENATE’S MOVE TO LEGALIZE CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS – THE NEED FOR NIGERIAN LAWMAKERS TO STRICTLY MIND THEIR STATUTORY ROLES
With regard to recent reports that the Nigerian Senate has introduced a new bill that seeks to consign the management of constituency projects initiated by federal lawmakers, which when passed would deny Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government from having any input awarding contracts for projects captured under the constituency fund; we cannot help but wonder what is the business of the Legislature in the management and execution of developmental projects, be they constituency projects or any other type of projects?
The said Bill, according to reports, seeks the setting up of a so-called special fund made up of 2.5 per cent of yearly budgets to be dedicated to Constituency Projects. The said Bill also stipulated that the fund when set up, would be managed by the Rural Development Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Presently constituency projects of lawmakers are captured in the capital allocation of relevant MDAs. The MDAs also award the contracts and determine the execution of the projects. The excuse given by the lawmakers to justify their actions, is that funds for projects allocated against their names are supposedly never released or suffer poor releases, which often stall the implementation of such projects. Whatever the situation is, it still does not justify this move by the Senate.
It is an established fact that the primary duty of the legislature, both at the Federal and State levels, is to enact new laws, amend outdated laws, approve budgets and Federal appointments of the Executive Arms of Government, and work towards checkmating the excesses of the Executives, amongst other oversight functions. It is not the role of the Legislature to meddle into the activities’ that are statutory meant for the Executives. What has the legislature got to do with project planning, implementation and the award of contracts? What then are the roles of the Government Departments, Ministries and Agencies? What then are the roles of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Works and Housing etc.?
A situation where the Legislature will assume the roles of the Executives is dangerous. The Legislature cannot take, or assume the roles of the Executive. If there are lapses or issues affecting the allocation of funds for constituency projects, such issues or lapses can be addressed and adjustments made. And not for the Legislature to want to come and take over the roles of the MDAs. More so, why do we have the Local Government Councils, which is the arm of Government that is closest to the grassroots?
We have reiterated in the past that Constituency Projects, which members of the National and State assemblies usually scramble to put in the budgets of every fiscal year, is simply an avenue for embezzlement and diversion of funds. As such, it should be abolished in Nigeria. Constituency Projects have been nothing but a sham in this country. Let us recall how President Buhari was said to have raised concern over the National Assembly’s injection of ‘strange projects’ and ‘sundry irregularities’ into the 2018 Budget, stating how they made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion. The same way the lawmakers had in 2016, insisted that the President should revert to the N100 billion mark for their Constituency Projects before the 2016 Budget will be signed after the President had initially reduced it to N60 billion. Then again in 2017, we witness the same drama between the Executive and the Legislature when the latter proposed N1.4 trillion for Constituency Projects. Now again, even though the N100billion allocated for constituency projects in the 2019 budget have not been released by President Muhammadu Buhari, we can see that the Legislature are already making moves with the subject Bill to have things in their way.
Truth is, the best thing Nigerians expect from the legislature, is to pass Bills/enact laws that would enhance the Local Government Councils to deliver developmental projects at the grassroots. And not their current move to be in control of the funds meant for constituency projects. Is that what lawmakers do in the places where democracy is working in advanced countries? Are the lawmakers in the US, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, etc., the ones executing projects in their constituencies? It is shameful that, the Nigerian lawmakers receive the highest salaries in the world, yet they are not satisfied. As they are always busy trying to misappropriate more public funds through this sham of constituency projects. Nigerian lawmakers should be reminded that they were elected to legislate and not to be involved in project implementation under the name of constituency projects. Why can't the Senate and House of Representatives members make laws for the Nigerian Government to upgrade/equip Nigerian medical facilities, and make it mandatory for public officers to patronize them? In other words, they should focus on making laws that would improve the economic fortunes of this country and its citizenry, and not laws that would only seek to increase the size of their bank accounts.
Zik Gbemre.
November 19, 2019
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With regard to recent reports that the Nigerian Senate has introduced a new bill that seeks to consign the management of constituency projects initiated by federal lawmakers, which when passed would deny Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government from having any input awarding contracts for projects captured under the constituency fund; we cannot help but wonder what is the business of the Legislature in the management and execution of developmental projects, be they constituency projects or any other type of projects?
The said Bill, according to reports, seeks the setting up of a so-called special fund made up of 2.5 per cent of yearly budgets to be dedicated to Constituency Projects. The said Bill also stipulated that the fund when set up, would be managed by the Rural Development Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Presently constituency projects of lawmakers are captured in the capital allocation of relevant MDAs. The MDAs also award the contracts and determine the execution of the projects. The excuse given by the lawmakers to justify their actions, is that funds for projects allocated against their names are supposedly never released or suffer poor releases, which often stall the implementation of such projects. Whatever the situation is, it still does not justify this move by the Senate.
It is an established fact that the primary duty of the legislature, both at the Federal and State levels, is to enact new laws, amend outdated laws, approve budgets and Federal appointments of the Executive Arms of Government, and work towards checkmating the excesses of the Executives, amongst other oversight functions. It is not the role of the Legislature to meddle into the activities’ that are statutory meant for the Executives. What has the legislature got to do with project planning, implementation and the award of contracts? What then are the roles of the Government Departments, Ministries and Agencies? What then are the roles of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Works and Housing etc.?
A situation where the Legislature will assume the roles of the Executives is dangerous. The Legislature cannot take, or assume the roles of the Executive. If there are lapses or issues affecting the allocation of funds for constituency projects, such issues or lapses can be addressed and adjustments made. And not for the Legislature to want to come and take over the roles of the MDAs. More so, why do we have the Local Government Councils, which is the arm of Government that is closest to the grassroots?
We have reiterated in the past that Constituency Projects, which members of the National and State assemblies usually scramble to put in the budgets of every fiscal year, is simply an avenue for embezzlement and diversion of funds. As such, it should be abolished in Nigeria. Constituency Projects have been nothing but a sham in this country. Let us recall how President Buhari was said to have raised concern over the National Assembly’s injection of ‘strange projects’ and ‘sundry irregularities’ into the 2018 Budget, stating how they made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion. The same way the lawmakers had in 2016, insisted that the President should revert to the N100 billion mark for their Constituency Projects before the 2016 Budget will be signed after the President had initially reduced it to N60 billion. Then again in 2017, we witness the same drama between the Executive and the Legislature when the latter proposed N1.4 trillion for Constituency Projects. Now again, even though the N100billion allocated for constituency projects in the 2019 budget have not been released by President Muhammadu Buhari, we can see that the Legislature are already making moves with the subject Bill to have things in their way.
Truth is, the best thing Nigerians expect from the legislature, is to pass Bills/enact laws that would enhance the Local Government Councils to deliver developmental projects at the grassroots. And not their current move to be in control of the funds meant for constituency projects. Is that what lawmakers do in the places where democracy is working in advanced countries? Are the lawmakers in the US, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, etc., the ones executing projects in their constituencies? It is shameful that, the Nigerian lawmakers receive the highest salaries in the world, yet they are not satisfied. As they are always busy trying to misappropriate more public funds through this sham of constituency projects. Nigerian lawmakers should be reminded that they were elected to legislate and not to be involved in project implementation under the name of constituency projects. Why can't the Senate and House of Representatives members make laws for the Nigerian Government to upgrade/equip Nigerian medical facilities, and make it mandatory for public officers to patronize them? In other words, they should focus on making laws that would improve the economic fortunes of this country and its citizenry, and not laws that would only seek to increase the size of their bank accounts.
Zik Gbemre.
November 19, 2019
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes