Constituency projects, as they are commonly referred to in our climes, have remained issues between executive and legislative arms of the federal government over the years.
JOSHUA EGBODO writes on the usual brouhaha and how the current House of Reps is also not taking the matter lightly.
The usual disagreements
History of the projects meant for members of the National Assembly’s respective constituencies has always been one of issues and disagreements.
At a time, the projects were under quick wins, coordinated by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the now rested Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
They were then targeted at some key of the goals, specifically in the areas of healthcare, education and water supply.
Members of the House of Representatives each were allowed choices of a project in one of those thematic areas, with a budget ceiling of N30 million.
The arguments over the years have been that who actually executes those projects.
Members in principle only nominate the projects of their choices and the locations, while the executive arm, through the relevant MDAs implement as contained in the budget. However, the undying allegation had remained that members often insisted on particular contractors, or sometimes on having to implement the projects personally.
Budgeted for, but not implemented
For over a decade now, about N100 million is always annually allocated for the said projects for members of the National Assembly, now under the aegis of Zonal Intervention Projects.
While the allocation in the documentary budget has remained consistent from one government to the other, implementing them has also been the issue.
At a point, the parliament was up in arms against some heads of MDAs, accusing them of “selective budget implementation”.
The hopelessness of getting the projects done had been so high that even when President Muhammadu Buhari emphatically made mention of the budgetary allocation to the Zonal Intervention Projects during his 2021 Budget speech before a joint session of the National Assembly, the usual excitement and applauds were absent on the floor.
Agitation reawakened
It appears last week’s anger of the current House of Representatives Committee on the SDGs, over non-implementation of members’ nominated projects was yet a revisit to the lingering agitation.
Members of the committee during the 2021 budget defence meeting last week, expressed dissatisfaction over the non-implementation of the projects as contained in the 2020 budget by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) office.
Members argued that it was worrisome that funds were totally released for every other project in the budget, but zero releases for Zonal Intervention Projects, more that these projects were what their constituents would benefit from to have faith in them as their active representatives.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on the SDGs, Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, came under fire from the lawmakers who accused her that she appeared very comfortable, executing every other project, but leaving only those that directly affected members of the National Assembly.
Understandably, lawmakers’ agitation was in view of the fact that the year was fast running to an end, yet, no fund has been released to take care of the Special Intervention Projects.
A perfect defence?
Orelope-Adefulire in her defence, however explained that it was none of her faults, as she could only execute projects for which funds have been approved and cash backed through releases.
She was to get the understanding of the committee chairman, Hon. Rotimi Agunsanya, who told his colleagues that the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning should be held accountable for the non-release of the funds, noting that of late, he has been working closely with the SSA to ensure that funds were released for the projects to be implemented.
“If you have your ZIP and it has not been done, we will crosscheck with her office to ensure that it is done”, he assured his colleagues.
The Chairman also appealed to his colleagues to exercise patience with the agency, with the understanding that it w not as bad as the current situation in 2019, during which the agency performed creditably.
Fresh assurance
Really feeling the frustrations of the lawmakers, the SSA to the President on the SDGs assured the committee members that she would provide relevant documents to the chairman, as requested and communicate with members on the status of their intervention projects.
Worrisome yet to members, and other followers of the system is whether there would be any change.
Would the Ministry of Finance act in tune with the seeming desperation in the hearts of the lawmakers, especially in a period that the government is lamenting over paucity of funds, and seeking prioritizing of its projects and programmes? If it however does, how much time is available for execution of the said projects before unspent funds are mopped up in line line with the new January-December budget circle?.
To many observers, this may be difficult, unless a special extension clause for the projects is put in the 2021 budget, but the question is, wouldn’t doing so affect the new budget circle, which even the leadership of the current National Assembly is working in earnest to sustain?.
