By Joshua Omoloye, Abuja
Senate President Ahmad Lawan has decried what he said was critics’ erroneous thinking that lawmakers scramble for constituency projects to be included in the budget for pecuniary reasons.
Lawan seized the occasion of commissioning of the Constituency projects facilitated by Senator Yakubu Oseni representing Kogi Central Senatorial District to underscore the importance of the constituency projects.
Speaking at Agasa in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State on Thursday, he said “when we fight for constituency projects to be funded in the National Assembly, we do so because of what we witness today.
“We go out to the remotest part of our community. We look for projects that will have very direct impact on the lives of the people that we represent. And that is important because, in effect, is to complement the major projects that we fund in the Federal budget.
“So we will continue to ensure that constituency projects are always there to ensure that our communities especially those that are so disadvantaged get access to government presence, government projects.”
The Senate President said 2022 is a year of consolidation for APC administration in the light of various ongoing projects which would be commissioned during the year.
He said: “Year 2022 is a year of consolidation for APC administration across Nigeria.
“Since the arrival of this administration in 2015, so much projects are ongoing across the country including the second Niger bridge which by the Grace of God will be completed this year and will be commissioned by Mr President.
“There are so many road projects that are ongoing. So many infrastructural development projects…This year, by the Grace of God, we will complete these projects and President Muhammadu Buhari will go round the country either in person or virtually or in a representative capacity to commission these projects.
“So the best will be coming this year from the APC. Nobody should deceive anybody. When some people had 16 years, uninterrupted, they didn’t deliver. We have been around only for seven years, that is even less than half, and we have delivered more than they did in 16 years.
“I wouldn’t like to be too partisan but I know that some people have failed Nigeria in 16 years of their stay in charge of government.
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“If anything, what they need to do between now and when elections will hold is to go to every community in Nigeria and ask for forgiveness for their failure. Not to seek for votes.
“To ask for votes is to show complete lack of respect for Nigerians. The damage that was done in 16 years are still very much with us. We are still trying to work hard to ensure that we remedy the mess left for us to deal with.
“The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is coming to an end by 2023. The administration would have been eight years and by the Grace of God we would have finished most of these legacy projects and another APC administration will come in 2023.
He lambasted the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) for having nothing concrete to show for its 16 years of governance.
Lawan rather asked PDP to go round Nigeria between now and 2023 polls to ask for forgiveness over past failures and should not bother asking Nigerians for votes.
According to him, the 16 years of PDP in power created so much damage that would only require them to seek forgiveness from the people and not their votes.
The Senate President showered praises on Senator Yakubu Oseni for being “able to ensure that the activities of the Ninth Senate never stopped as far as he was concerned and involved.”
One of Senator Yakubu Oseni’s Constituency projects commissioned on Thursday by the Senate President was a 600 capacity JAMB CBT Centre at Agasa, the country home of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
