Former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, Abduljhalil Tafawa-Balewa, has criticized lawmakers across all legislative chambers, accusing them of failing their constituents....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
Tafawa-Balewa made this statement during an interview with journalists in Lagos while addressing the socio-economic challenges confronting Nigerians.
“It is a shame that Nigeria is in this state,” said Mr Tafawa-Balewa. “Now, a lot of elected representatives of the people at the Senate, House of Representatives, state assemblies and local government legislative houses are supposed to do community work in their constituencies.”
He stated that lawmakers at both the federal and state levels earn higher salaries than their counterparts in other countries but neglect to carry out community projects in their respective constituencies.
“And they have these community projects that they are supposed to execute each time, which they do not do, or when they do, it is usually so poorly done that the rest of the money is kept in their own pockets.
“I just don’t understand what a large majority of these people will do with all the money,” the former presidential aspirant said.
He expressed concern over the distribution of funds by elected officials, noting that despite receiving more under the current administration than ever before, little is trickling down to benefit the people.
He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that every Nigerian should know how much senators, members of the House of Representatives, and state governors receive for development purposes.
“Then we can now start asking them what they do with that money,” he said.
“These people are elected to represent us, and that’s what democracy is all about. We chose them to represent us,” he added.
Describing the situation as disheartening, Mr. Tafawa-Balewa lamented that despite the increased flow of funds within the government, less is reaching the citizens.
He specifically criticized the last administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing it of financial mismanagement.
“Both the federal government and the governor of the Central Bank, for lack of a better expression, dipped their hands deep into the coffers of Nigeria and its reserves,” he said.
Mr. Tafawa-Balewa also raised concerns about conflicts between state and local governments over statutory allocations, highlighting how such disputes deprive local governments the level of governance closest to the people of resources needed to address grassroots poverty.
He pointed out the pressing issue of high food prices, stressing that many Nigerians struggle to feed their families.
According to him, if the government cannot regulate food prices, it should allow for open competition in the market.
“For instance, the borders have been opened, and the price of rice is going down. The price of some other foods are going down,” he noted.
He urged lawmakers to take action, visit their communities, and make meaningful contributions to their constituents lives. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
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