NAN-H-35
Funds
By Cecilia John
Abuja, Jan. 6, 2017 (NAN) The Chairman, Senate Committee on Poverty Alleviation, Sen. Ali Wakili, has debunked insinuations that lawmakers siphon funds meant for projects in their constituencies, describing it as regrettable.
Wakili, at a the public hearing on “Constituencies Development Catalyst Fund Establishment Bill, 2017’’ on Monday in Abuja, said that persons who made such allegations had little or no knowledge of the workings of the legislature.
According to him, constituency projects are handled by the executive and not the legislature.
“We are not unaware of the great negativism, stereotype perception and the bad public image of successive Assemblies, including ours, since the “constituency intervention project’’ was introduced.
“To some of them, those funds meant for such intervention projects aimed at providing basic needs to fight the scourge of poverty was being siphoned and misused by the legislature in connivance with bureaucrats.
“ These people who give us bad name know little or nothing about constituency intervention projects. They feel it is money set aside that we put in our pockets, and it 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 times, more needed.
“That is why we make suggestions about these projects, but implementation is carried out by the executive,’’ he said.
Wakili said that the Constituencies Development Catalyst Fund Establishment Bill sponsored by Sen. Buhari Abdulfatai (APC-Oyo) would correct the public prejudices in the handling of the funds.
According to him, the bill is aimed at re-distributing national wealth and resources to the nooks and crannies of all states of the federation through improved rural economy, employment and standard of living.
He added that the bill, when passed, would ensure that services and facilities were made easily available to the citizens.
The lawmaker said that when facilities were made available to citizens, it would result in equitable devolution of powers, authority and a strategy for enhanced citizen’s participation in decision-making and enthrone good governance.
He urged participants at the hearing to make meaningful contributions with a view to repositioning the Nigerian State.
He commended Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), the UK Department for International Development (DFlD) and the National lnstitute for Legislative Studies (NlLS) and the media for partnering the committee and the National Assembly. (NAN)
CJM/NNL/OPI/OPI
Edited by Olisa Ifeajika