Secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha has advised federal legislators to allow community participation in the constituency projects for proper implementation and to enhance transparency.
Mustapha who was represented by the director, politics and economy affairs, Wale Joseph gave the advice on Monday in Abuja during a one-day legislative conference organized by the Hallowmace Foundation Africa in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
He said constituency projects by the legislature are not a usurpation of the functions of the federal government in the provision of infrastructures to the rural areas of the country.
According to him, “Constituency projects are created to ensure federal government s presence in the rural communities while advising the legislators to allow communities choose the most needed in their local areas.
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However, in a keynote address, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Professor Bolaji Owasanoye submitted that constituency projects should not be the job of the federal legislators.
He said, “Though every federal constituency deserves federal government presence, in Nigeria some projects are being cornered for personal uses.”
The ICPC chairman maintains that there must be some level of community engagement in every constituency project.
He reveals that ICPC has tracked so many projects that did not conform to specification while some are not in existence as he links that between 2018 and 2019 constituency projects. The Northeast and Southwest alone have surpassed fifty-three billion naira (N53 bn).
In his reaction, the House leader, Rt Hon. Alhassan Doguwa accused ICPC of ulterior motives while dealing with the federal lawmakers with regard to constituency projects.
Doguwa said, ICPC sent operatives to his constituency without informing him, a situation found very unusual, therefore advised that nothing is wrong if the anti-graft agency to investigate any federal lawmaker but that should be accompanied with little respect to them.
“What is wrong if ICPC calls me and request my presence in their office or cooperation in whatever they are investigating, instead of sending their operatives to my constituency without my notice,” He queried.
