By Ochogwu Sunday
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Member of the House of Representatives representing the Bwari/AMAC Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Obika Chinedu, has called for the burden of constituency projects to be taken off lawmakers.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Hon. Chinedu, who spoke on a series of pressing issues bedeviling the nation, raised concerns over lawmakers’ alleged deviation from their primary legislative duties to the pursuance of community projects.
According to the Labour Party lawmaker, “the greatest harm that has been done to the legislative arm of government is this particular thing called constituency project. I hate it.”
Hon. Chinedu insisted that the only way Nigerians can “recover the country is by taking off the constituency project from legislators.”
He asserted that community projects are “not our business; we should only go out to supervise those whose job it is. Legislators have been turned into executives.”
“Everywhere we go, we keep receiving demands from people about one project or the other. People are no longer interested in lawmaking or things that should be put into the Constitution to better the lives of the people.
“Everybody is dragging how he can attract a road here or light there. The road is meant for everybody to have. No constituency is more than the other.
“Some of our colleagues who found themselves in leadership positions have more reach to do things. You will see a legislator that is dedicated, but because he doesn’t have that reach, he won’t be able to attract projects to his constituency, probably because he is from the opposition.
“People will look at him and say, ‘you have failed.’ No, it is not true. This has harmed us. That is why people who have no business with the National Assembly are there. If you go there and you are able to get a good committee that attracts a project, that is all.
“Lawmakers are no longer talking about legislation; we can no longer debate issues. Everybody is running to put satellites and boreholes, and the country is wasting away,” he said.
People now hold legislators responsible for what executives should do, Hon. Chinedu claims
Substantiating his position on why the community projects should be scrapped, the lawmaker claimed that Nigerians now mistake legislators for the executives.
“People that come to our houses don’t actually bring what we should be working on; rather, they will be telling us what they should be telling the executive.
“Instead of them being mad at those in the executive for not doing what should have been done, when they see a legislator whose work is mainly legislation, they bring it forward.
“That is why you see that some of the legislators run away from their people because of numerous demands that cannot be met. Most times, the communities don’t understand it,” he said.
FCT has enough budget provisions to fund infrastructure, Lawmaker
Hon. Chinedu also revealed that N1.8 trillion was approved by the Green Chamber this year for infrastructural projects in the nation’s capital.
According to him, “FCT has never had the kind of budget provisions that it has this time, above N1.8 trillion, and as lawmakers, we supported it and passed the law so that we can have accelerated development.
“We are not supposed to be going here and there doing this. That has rubbished legislation.”
I remain in Labour Party, Rep Chinedu
Speaking on the recent wave of defections of governors and other top opposition figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Chinedu said it is their choice, stating that “that is why we have a multiparty system.”
He, however, said though several opposition lawmakers have defected to the ruling party, he remains a member of the LP.
“I am a Labour Party man and I remain in the party until our leader says otherwise.
“For those that are defecting, it is their choice to do so. If you think where you are is not good for you, you have the choice to leave. That is why we have a multiparty system in Nigeria,” he said.
Security situation in FCT
On the activities of bandits and other criminal elements causing chaos in the territory, the lawmaker said the “security men are trying their best.”
He, however, noted that the establishment of the FCT Independent Police Force would go a long way in tackling the deteriorating security issues.
According to him, people complain of insecurity in the capital city because what they “see is what happens at a particular time; they don’t see and they don’t know what was prevented.”
“You don’t know most of the things that I know within the government circle, and I’m not going to let you know it.
“The security men are trying their best based on the availability of what has been provided. That’s why I am preaching for the establishment of the FCT Independent Police Force so that we can use a percentage of our revenue to invest in security and secure Abuja,” he added.
Source: Daily Post Nigeria
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