Senators Now Pocket At Least N2Billion, Reps N1Billion In ‘Constituency Projects’ Since Tinubu Removed Fuel Subsidy—Lawmaker Exposes Budget Padding
With all the obscene pay and extra money our reps and senators are getting, why are the projects they show usually nothing but CUT AND JOIN? What are they doing with all that money? I look at some of their projects, and I say to myself, “What is going on? So tacky and unimaginative?” Especially our Southeast reps and senators, cut and join everywhere, or total neglect. Pity.
When I was a Legislator in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly representing Afikp North East (2015-2019), I used my own money to do the projects below and more. I am one of the few in this country who won an election on merit. My election was like an uprising. It also made me the first woman to be elected in Afikpo, so I was going to leave myself behind and give all I could to my people. I came out of the office VERY BROKE. Took me years to even recover, but I am just glad I have fully gained my balance and more.
You would be shocked that I got in huge trouble for using my money to work, it was considered an affront by the political class, I was even summoned, humiliated, chastised like a child for insubordination, noncompliance, and made to feel small. And I paid dearly for it while in office.
My projects…..
THE RESTROOM: Eke Market is a very important market that has served the entire state & other neighboring states and should never ever have been left without a proper restroom. A restroom was of prime importance to my constituents. My people did all they were able to do for decades so government in power could intervene but nothing. I decided that whatever it will take to give my people an ultra modern toilet facility I will do it. I spared nothing to make sure this restroom is the tops, by any standard. I installed a water system first. This restroom has offices, showers in both the male and the female section. There is a gate/security house for 24/7 security. There are workers making sure the place is well maintained, always; hence the offices in both the male and female section. No place was left untied; for easy maintenance/cleaning. Just for an added nganga (opulence), I interlocked the entire compound. Against all odds, I was able to deliver, and on record time the toilet facility which gulped me of millions of naira of my personal funds to the untold joy of my constituents.
MAY READ
Update: These images were taken shortly before the restroom was completed. It is my joy that the money being generated from this restroom is used by heads of the market to service it and pay the workers, some of it is also used to maintain the market.
THE BRIDGE: There was a falling bridge in a road leading to a very popular hospital, Mater hospital Afikpo; it is patronized by people of the state and beyond. It was so bad that people were falling in and motorbikes riders were falling it. It was the 1st project I embarked with my money. This was a matter of life and death. It is also not the kind of construction you do manage manage style, it needs to be properly constructed. But I had no choice but do it just enough to last for a few years due to the cost implications, it still ended up costing me multiple millions of my own money, I gave the contract to a fellow house member from Ikwo, who happens to be an Engineer. This was an alarming need for my people and I was able to fix it. I would have completed one of my own uncompleted structures with the money used in fixing this bridge for my people.
THE POLICE: Ehugbo is a very ancient town, almost everything was located in Afikpo at one point. The Police Division and Area Command serves the entire Ebonyi south and beyond. For decades they had no water system. Politicians after politicians have utilized their services for their own selfish reasons for decades, but ignored their most important need. I single-handedly, spend millions of my personal money to give the two units a modern and befitting water system as soon as I was elected. I did this to increase the happiness quotient of police officers serving in my town; that way they will also serve us better.
Note, I did get some money for constituency projects, but I never touched it, I handed it over to my then manager to do them, as such, I don’t include those as my project and never claim I did them. The money would not have been enough for anything I wanna embark on.
