Rauf Olayemi, Bauchi
A national legislation to institutionalise constituency development funds that will be responsible for managing constituency projects at both national and State levels has been advocated for, to enhance development across the Country.
The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria who is also the Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman made the advocacy while making a presentation during the 2021 National Legislative Conference organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with Hallowmace Foundation Africa.
The Chairman explained that constituency projects aside from enhancing development, would help legislators in ensuring prudence, effective representation, accountability and improve legislative-executive relations.
He added that the institutionalisation of constituency projects will help in the reduction of poverty and illiteracy through human empowerment and capacity development and also improve public perception of the legislature, saying "the move would redistribute national resources to the community to improve the rural economy".
Abubakar said that "the concept and institutionalisation of constituency projects dates back to 1999, during Obasanjo’s administration. It was originated as a circumstantial demand from the federal legislators in response to high demand for social services by their constituents.
According to him, "It started with allocation of small amount to the members of the National Assembly before a consensus is reached on enhanced figure, agreed sharing formula and procedure for initiating/executing the projects
"Constituency project which is institutionalised and has become an integral part of the budget process at the national level, is not uniformly institutionalised at the state levels.
"At the state level in Nigeria for now, it is only the Lagos State House of Assembly that has codified the administration of constituency development projects through a law," he said.
The Chairman further stated that legislators at the state level only identify the projects, occasionally recommend contractors and monitor the implementation of the projects through oversight and the absence of national or state legislation to institutionalise the existence of the fund and little involvement of legislators in the management of the projects affect development especially at the state levels.
He therefore, called on the National Assembly to enact a national legislation of constituency projects as in the public procurement which he said is very important because it would guide the process for state adoption with modifications to reflect local peculiarities.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha, President of the Senate Senator Ahmed Lawan, Chairman Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, members of the National Assembly, Civil Society Organizations among others were in attendance at the event.
