Chairman of the Afenifere Renewal Group, Olawale Oshun during at a public lecture entitled, “Politics and Governance: The Nigerian Contradistinction,” at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos has said the inclusion of constituency projects in the budget is a waste of government funds.
He said constituency projects are just a way to take funds from government’s coffers.
He further added that if elected officials were paid only their earned income, there would be surplus which would be used for developmental projects that will benefit the citizens.
He said, “If the executive arm of government cannot, on their own, turn their proposals into law, the legislators have no singular responsibility in the execution of the budget other than to carry out oversight functions thereupon.
“The executive and legislative arms of government in Nigeria must backslap one another, otherwise, in which other country is the executive function of implementing projects ceded to the members of the legislature.”
“Politicisation of our pay system and the unwholesome management of our revenue sources take investible funds away from government coffers,”.
“Proper governance would entail labour unions laying emphasis on compelling, through sustained mass action, the National Assembly and other levels of government to lay open their books, and ensure that no elected official earns more than the highest-paid public servant as it is done in well-established democracies.”
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