Sophist
Platinum Member
- Mar 26, 2009
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press release
Misapplication of Constituency Funds
Civil society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has observed with dismay and disappointment the misapplication of constituency funds over the years.
It has come to our knowledge that in 2008 and 2009 fiscal year alone, a whooping sum of N60billion have been appropriated for constituency projects across the country.
It is painful that, inspite of this huge sum of money, there seems to be nothing on ground, in terms of structures or constituency projects can justify the volume of expenditure.
The truth, however, must be told. Constituency funds as conceived in the Nigerian polity is not given directly to the legislators who are the owners of beneficiary constituencies.
The fund is channelled through appropriations after the projects are identified by each legislator in his or her constituency and the executive arm of government executes the projects as factored in the budget by the legislature.
Our observations as legislative advocates have shown that the dearth of these projects which are suppose to reduce poverty level and increase the standard of living of the citizenry is caused by poor capacity on the side of the legislators to effectively monitor the implementation of these projects through their oversight functions.
Worse still, it is alleged that some federal legislators are compromised by financial inducements into abdicating their legislative duty to look the other way. Some legislators are even accused of being the direct financial beneficiaries, contrary to legislative and parliamentary ethics and practices to become contractors of the projects that they are suppose to oversight..
The primary and traditional functions of the legislature is lawmaking for the good governance of the nation; oversight and constituency relations which is suppose to be an accountability programme of legislators. The absence of this has cut the electorate from their representative and has negated the principle of accountability to the people.
We therefore call on the executive to desist from corrupting the legislature with financial inducement on constituency projects while we also call on the citizenry to ask questions on their constituency projects. The legislature on her part must wake up and line up to the expectation of the electorate; engage in effective oversight and return to community relations where issues of constituency projects can be explained to the people
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director
CISLAC
