Ogun lawmaker decries diversion, corrupt use of constituency projects’ funds

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…declares intention to recontest Ijebu North II seat

 

member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Dare Kadiri, has decried the use of constituency projects by lawmakers to perpetrate corrupt practices.

Kadiri representing Ijebu North II State Constituency in the Assembly stated this while declaring his intention to recontest his seat in the state legislature in the 2019 general elections.

The lawmaker said it is reprehensible that legislators at the state and Federal levels, who should protect the interest of the people they represent, hide under the guise of executing constituency projects to divert huge funds for their personal and selfish use at the expense of their constituents.

He said that since lawmakers were well-paid and had been collecting their allowances regularly, they had no genuine reason to deny the people of their constituencies the gains that should accrue to them.

The lawmaker, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Culture and Information, said that the people deserved to fully enjoy the dividends of democracy meant for them.

Kadiri said, “We are well-paid, we have enough allowances but the little you’re supposed to give to people, I said it earlier, I was only given N10million, but I can account for that N10million. I know people (lawmakers) that collected rice from contractors, collected oil they were supposed to go and share to our people during Christmas, they took it to their houses. They collected Marwa (tricycles) and okada (motorcycles) from Abuja free. They will share 10 and sell 20. God will ask them, because they are cheating people they are richer than. Why should you cheat people you’re richer than? If you want to cheat, it should be people that are richer than you.

“I’ve seen allocation of constituency projects of N27million to somebody, but he only came up with nothing on the ground. But I won’t do that, I don’t have any reason to do it. And that’s why I’m asking for a second term because I believe I’ve been honest, I’ve been fair with whatever I’m doing from the state and I can defend it. The contractor that did the job is still alive, I didn’t take any money from them, I didn’t ask for any kickback. It was the state that nominated the contractor. It went through the normal due process. My own was to make sure that the contractor did the right thing. It was of standard.”