By Chinelo Obogo
A former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chief U.S.A Igwesi has commended the Federal Government for directing the anti-graft agencies to launch an investigation into allegations of insertion of fictitious projects into 2016 appropriation bill.
Chief Igwesi, who made the call recently in Abuja, insisted that the allegations were too serious to be swept under the carpet.
“The insertion of fictitious projects into the budget are criminal and a contravention of the social contract entered between the Nigerian electorate and their elected representatives during electioneering campaign.
“The House of Representatives drama is now before the public; it cannot be adjudicated by the so called internal mechanism of house. I, therefore, support the call for anti-graft agencies to wade into full scale investigation into the matter. There is more to the revelations already made by both sides that cannot be handled with kid gloves, and there is no way such allegation can successfully navigate without serious and intimate connivance with the ministries, agencies and parastatals or departments of the government.
“In older democracies, those accused should have worked up to the anti-graft agencies themselves to clear their names or resign to pave way for thorough and undiluted investigations. Any accused person remains innocent until proved guilty and we should avoid media trial at the expense of judicial probe and insight in the matter.”
On the issue of constituency projects Igwesi said the global practice is for legislators to nominate project sites and identify the nature and type of projects their various constituencies need and not to nominate contractors or assume the position of one themselves.