It would be recalled that early this year, there was a row between the National Assembly and the Presidency. The legislature had actually threatened to impeach the president over the non-release of constituency development funds. The delay in the release of the funds was also largely responsible for the delayed signing of the 2013 appropriation bill by President Goodluck Jonathan. Among the top actors in the entire saga was Senator Chris Ngige. He claimed inter alia, that works on their constituency projects had been stalled as a result of the non-release of the funds by the presidency through the finance ministry. Eventually, on March 25, 2013, the Federal Government released N30 billion for constituency projects for the first quarter of 2013 (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/03/fg-releases-n30bn-for-constituency-projects/), comprising the months of January, February and March. Annually, the federal government spends up to 180 billion naira on constituency projects, which more often than not does not get to the people at the grassroots.

I was glad to observe that Senator Ngige was amongst those who consistently and vociferously bemoaned the presidency over the non-release of the funds. Judging by the previous representative of Anambra Central Senatorial District (Senator Annie Okonkwo), whose tenure was anything but inspiring, (Annie Okonkwo stewardship in the senate will also be published) I had hoped that the representation of the constituency by a “progressive” was beginning to pose signs of positive beginning I had hoped that finally, the people would have cause to rejoice. Alas, such rantings have ended up like they usually do – just for my pocket! I have travelled round the constituency, just as I have enquired from members of the constituency. Not a single project has been identified as having been facilitated by Senator Ngige. By December which will be the last quarter of the year, six hundred and sixty million naira will have accrued to the senatorial zone as constituency fund, through Senator Ngige. By the end of his tenure, this amount will have increased to nine hundred and sixty million naira. Should the current trend continue, the people of the zone will have nothing to show for the hundreds of millions that have been earmarked as development funds.

In other climes around the world, constituency funds are used to improve services and bring development closer to the people. In countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, etc. such funds have helped to ensure infrastructural and agricultural development. Thailand, for instance, developed her agricultural sector through funds allocated to the provinces through their representatives in the parliament. Sadly, in Nigeria, the over-bloated take-home pay of the politicians, notwithstanding, such funds still find their ways into their wallets.

Not minding the level of indescribable poverty in which most Nigerians live, our legislators remain the highest paid in the world. It is noteworthy to mention that after Nigerians decried the last increase in the salaries of members of the national assembly, it is today being kept away from public knowledge. One is alarmed that in spite of Senator Ngige’s air of radical progressivism, he’s failed to at least murmur against such obvious “legal corruption”. Well, that could be pardoned on the ground that one does not reject a pack of sugar given to him on a platter of gold, irrespective of its source. Perhaps courtesy demands that Senator Ngige remains silent on that. Lest I forget, such financial backbone could be necessary for electoral campaigns – that is about to be witnessed in a couple of months. But if you ask me, Senator Ngige, such silence is not golden.

This figures below is 2008 chart. Due to the prohibition by NNAS on publication of their salaries and allowances, the 2012 increased figures are not available.

1. Word robe Allowance which is 25% of the basic salary and over N720,000.00 (2.) Recess Allowance 10% and over 248.000.00 ( 3) Accommodation Allowance 200% and over N4.5 million (4.) Utility Allowance 30% and over N900.000.00 (5.) Domestic Staff Allowance 75% and over N 1.2 million (6.) Entertainment Allowance 30% and over N900,000.00 (7.) Personal Assistance Allowance. 25% and over 750,000,00 (8.) Vehicle Maintenance Allowance. 75% and over N1.2 million (9.) Leave Allowance 10% and over 248,000.00 (10.) Constituency Allowance, not constituency development project fund 250% and over N6.2million (11.) Hardship Allowance 50% and over N1.1 million (12.) Newspaper Allowance 50% and over N1.1 million (13.) Furniture Allowance 300% and over 7.2 million (14) Severance gratuity 300% and over 7.2 million (15.) Motor Vehicle Allowance 400% and over 9.8 million. Please go to the federal budget office website to get the details of 2008 National Assembly budget allocation. Ngige as a senator is entiled to all this allowances and yet he denied his constituency the money meant for their development.

It would amaze one to imagine what 540 million naira received so far by Senator Ngige in the last two years would do in the lives of the people. One of the major challenges which blight virtually every home in the zone is the challenge of access to portable water. Most families trek miles to fetch untreated water from streams, with all its implications. Early this year, tens of bodies were found in Ezu River, Amansea, a border town between Anambra and Enugu. This plunged the community into serious water crisis. It is alleged that such illicit practice of dumping of corpses in streams has endured for long and is the case in a lot of other communities. The well-to-do meet their water needs by providing private boreholes for themselves. At the rate of 500.000.00 (five hundred thousand naira) for each, 540 million naira million naira would provide 1080 (one thousand and eighty) borehole facilities in the constituency, 154 borehole for each local govt that made up the constituency, thereby reducing the endemic water problem. At N100.000.00 par widow as soft loans to facilitate their starting up small scale businesses., the fund would put smiles on the faces of 5400 windows of the constituency, The amount, if employed to refurbish dilapidated primary and secondary schools, and stock their libraries, would also provide accessible and affordable education and better learning environment for our teaming pupils and students in seven local govt area that made up the constituency. What is more, it would provide more medical doctors like Dr. Chris Ngige. The list is endless. Unarguably, none of these has been achieved.

If Senator Ngige could abandon the interests of the 65,579 men and women of his constituency who braved the sun, rain and thuggery which is a major hallmark of our elections, to vote for him, then he certainly does not deserve a standing position, much less a seat at government house, Awka.

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