Nigerians have agreed with a submission by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, that constituency projects inserted into the country’s budget yearly by Nigerian lawmakers is an act of corruption.
The lawmakers, in defense argue that they are closer to the people than the executive arm of government, an as such in a better position to know which projects will impact on the people more.
They have also branded Obasanjo as the godfather of corruption in Nigeria, alleging that he was the first to initiate a move aimed at bribing members of the legislature.
Nigerians however disagreed with them in a survey carried out by Ripples Nigeria.
The poll which was widely promoted on social media reached about 483,403 people on Facebook alone, and was shared by 1,466 people.
It also attracted thousands of comments from Nigerians within and outside the shores of the country, with many of them lamenting that the lawmakers have indulged themselves in corrupt practices, thereby making it difficult, nay near impossible of diligently performing their duties of checking any corrupt practice from the executive arm of government.
Those who voted to the survey question ‘Obj says constituency project by lawmakers is corruption. Do you you agree?’, were 1,084.
Of this number, 996 representing 91.9 percent of respondents voted Yes, while only 88 people representing 8.1 percent voted No.
Among comments contributed in the issue, Peter Chiaba said, “It’s true…. These thieves called legislators’ salaries are bogus the constituent expenses cruel and they spend the money anyhow _ constituent expenses that they give account to no one – it’s pertinent that they don’t have conscience”.
Green Ekeledo suggested that “It should be scrapped and all constituency projects by law should be vested with the local govts where it rightly belongs”.
Oniga Stephen however argued, that “But for 8yrs he (Obasanjo) did nothing about it. Perhaps he was afraid he will be impeached if he tries it. See self centeredness?”
Oyebamiji Abdul-Waheed Yusuf who also voted yes commented thus: “Yes I agree 100%. All of them are thieves. Some Nigerians are illiterates, when a lawmaker does any infrastructure in his/her constituency, they will applaud and commend him/her.
“They don’t know that the lawmaker spent from their constituency allocation. They won’t commend them if they know that. And all of the money that the lawmakers are spending from our constituencies allocations is not more than 10%, the 90% remaining goes to their pockets.
“There is none in our elected politicians in this nation who can spend from his/her pocket money, never”.
Oite Monday on his part, lamented that some contributors in the survey were attacking Obasanjo, and leaving the issue at hand. “As far as am concerned Baba is saying the right thing. Constituency project is a complete fraud.
“You don’t kill the message and the Messenger. We must learn to take the message ie agree for once that the Messenger is right and stop judging his past”.
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