Published:
CSNAC made an FOI request.
An association of civil society organisations, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has made a Freedom of Information request to the Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Al-Makura, to publish the details of allocations made to the State House of Assembly.
According to a statement released by CSNAC Chairman, Olarenwaju Suraju, the group’s demands are precipitated by reports carried in The News magazine and the Nigerian NewsWorld of September 2 of “unfortunate misapplication and management of fund by the State Government in satisfaction of greedy Legislators.”
According to the reports, each legislator is paid a monthly allowance of over N4 million and a quarterly constituency project allowance of N10 million.
Mr. Suraju said the governor himself admitted this much. He said such outrageous remuneration is clearly a violation of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) approved allowances for legislators.
“We consider the alleged pillaging of the State’s scarce resources by legislators who are elected with the constitutional duties of legislating in the public interest most unfortunate and reprehensible,” Mr. Suraju said.
He noted that the financial status of the state does not support such high remuneration for public officials.
“No doubt, socio-economic and infrastructural development is elusive in any State committing almost 89% of her resources to recurrent expenditure and satisfaction of few over-pampered state officials.
“From our last check, Nassarawa State competes with Ekiti State as the least funded States from the Federation Allocation tables. The level of evident poverty across the State gives credence to alleged mismanagement of meagre available resources. Learning of the inhuman enrichment of individuals at the detriment of the populace through phantom constituency project and monthly payment is most disheartening and worrisome.”
CSNAC, therefore, asked the governor to make public the following information within seven days of getting the request:
1. Evidence(s) of progress report and status of payment for the construction of the new Nassarawa State House of Assembly complex to date
2. The total budgetary allocation released to Members of Nassarawa State House of Assembly for Constituency projects and Monthly allowances in the last 2 years.
3. Certificate of project completion undertaking by legislators under the allocated quarterly constituency allowances.
4. Contracts awarded under the Millennium Development Goal, projects concerned and contractors in the projects.
No comments:
Post a Comment