CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS: DISPPELLING THE MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS. "Budget Appropriations, Not Cash: Understanding Lawmakers’ Roles" By Engr. Sammy Osarenmwinda Ajayi

CONSTITUENCY PROJECTS: DISPPELLING THE MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS.

 "Budget Appropriations, Not Cash: Understanding Lawmakers’ Roles"

By Engr. Sammy Osarenmwinda Ajayi

It amazes me how ignorant some politicians and Nigerian youths can be. Should we attribute this to a lack of education or just sheer foolishness?

When I hear people say, “No honourable member of the National Assembly has less than a billion naira in constituency project funds given to them,” and they echo it all over social media, I can’t help but laugh.

Quote me anywhere: constituency project funds are not handed directly to honourable members or senators.

These funds are part of the national budget, allocated for specific projects in their constituencies, and are executed by relevant government agencies—not the lawmakers themselves.

The role of a senator or honourable member is to identify the needs of their constituency and propose them for inclusion in the national budget.

The actual implementation of these projects falls under the responsibility of the relevant ministries, departments, or agencies (MDAs) not the lawmakers themselves.

In many cases, these proposed projects are not even fully executed before the end of the budget cycle due to delays, bureaucracy, or lack of funding.

So, when I come across some of these social media narratives, I genuinely wonder: is this ignorance or simply petty hatred for certain lawmakers?

Some individuals seem driven more by personal bias than by facts, and that’s a disservice to public understanding and civic education.