From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara said yesterday that constituency projects for federal lawmakers in the national budget is not negotiable.
Dogara explained in a statement that members of the National Assembly insist on zonal intervention or constituency projects because they see it as the only way to attract federal presence to their constituencies.
In the statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Turaki Hassan, it indicated that Dogara spoke last Saturday in Billiri town, in Gombe State, at the launch of an empowerment scheme of the member representing Balanga/Billiri Federal constituency, Ali Isa.
Dogara argued there that, although it was not the responsibility of lawmakers to provide some of the things people request from them, it was in the realisation of the fact that conditions are hard for the people and because service to humanity is at the centre of the “representation that we do, most legislators have taken it upon themselves to provide, promote and to deliver the training that he is giving to his constituency today.
“The only way through which we can maintain fairness in governance, fairness across the length and breadth of this country is by patronising federal constituencies.
“When you patronise federal constituencies, you have touched every nook and cranny of Nigeria and that is why we will continue as leaders to ensure that we have programmes in governance that touch directly on constituencies of this country,” he added.