Presiding and principal officers of the Senate, Nigeria's highest legislative body, allocated billions of naira worth of constituency projects to themselves in the 2024 budget, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
The projects, statutorily known as the Zonal Intervention Project (ZIP), are shared among the 109 Senate members.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how constituency projects worth N4.142 billion were allocated to the North-west Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State, the constituency represented by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
The projects also greatly benefited the Kano North Senatorial District, represented by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin.
The principal officers, especially the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele; Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru; Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume; Minority Leader, Abba Moro; and Deputy Minority Leader, Oyewunmi Olalere, also benefited.
Findings
This newspaper reviewed the 2024 Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) profile of the budget, which revealed that the projects' locations are vague and ambiguous, while others are listed under suspicious sub-heads.
Also, the descriptions of the line items in the budget document do not indicate whether the lawmakers nominated the projects, though they are located in their constituencies.
Barau Jibrin (Kano North)
PREMIUM TIMES identified several projects worth billions of naira whose specific locations are unclear.
For instance, N250 million was allocated for the "Construction of rural roads in some selected communities in Kano State".
The local government areas and specific communities where the project will be sited were not stated. Several others were not credited to any communities.
The projects and their costs are:
-N190 million for "Human Capital Development and Strategic Empowerment with Capital and Motorcycles in Kano State.
-N250 million for "Provision of Solar Borehole in various wards in Dala LGA, Kano State."
-N60 million for construction of classrooms in Kadawa Ungogo LGA, Kano State.
- N20 million for "Training and employment of youth and women and supply of sewing machines in Gwarzo/Kabo LGAs of Kano State".
Mr Jibrin is from Kano State and the deputy senate president.
Barau's clear project
The review showed that only one project was clearly allocated to Mr Jibirin's Kano North. The project is:
-N190 million for "Provision of empowerment items to farmers to boost dry season farming, traders and other artisans (LOT 1&2) in Kano North Senatorial District". The project is listed under NBRRI.
Bamidele Opeyemi (Ekiti Central)
Six projects worth N1.472 billion were allocated to the Ekiti Central Senatorial District, which Mr Opeyemi represents.
However, the only difference here is that the projects have locations, even though some are under irrelevant government agencies.
Projects listed for Mr Opeyemi's constituency are:
-N200 million for "Supply of education materials to students in selected schools in Ekiti Central Senatorial District." The project is listed under Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan.
-N150 million for "Grants for unemployed youths and women in selected areas of Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
-N200 million for "Procurement of agric inputs and employment of farmers in Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
-N232 million for "Provision of agric food farm inputs and empowerment for youths and women in Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
-N218 million for "Provision of agric and farm inputs for cooperatives in Irepodun/Ifelodun and Ijero LGAs of Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
-N250 million for "Provision of agric and farm inputs for cooperatives in Ado, Efon, and Ekiti-west LGAs of Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
-N222 million for "Capacity building training and supply of sewing machines, block moulding machines, cassava grinding machines and pepper grinding machines for artisans in selected areas of Ekiti Central Senatorial District."
Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South)
Eleven projects worth N1.8 billion were allocated to Kwara South Senatorial District, which Mr Ashiru represents.
Like Mr Bamidele, some projects here are listed under irrelevant organisations for execution.
They are:
-N250 million for "Construction of community road in Ayaba area of Essa Ward in Kwara South, Kwara South Senatorial District". The project is listed under the main ministry.
-N250 million for "Construction and equipping of ICT centres in selected communities of Kwara South Senatorial District". The project is listed under the National Productivity Centre.
-N100 million for "Construction and rehabilitation of rural road and pavement in Popo Market, Offa, Kwara South (PHASE 2)". The project is listed under the National Productivity Centre.
-N100 million for "Renovation and equipping of Esie/Iludun Secondary School in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara South". The project is listed under the National Productivity Centre.
-N100 million for "Renovation of Oro Ago, Omupo, Erinle-Ile, Omu-Aran and Ajasse Kinship's palace in Kwara South." The project is listed under the National Productivity Centre.
-N200 million for "Medical outreach for disabled and elderly people in selected areas of Kwara South Senatorial District". The project is listed under Aquatictic Bio-Resources Training Centre Tunari, Taraba State.
-N100 million for "Provision of medical supplies to Primary Health Care and Maternity Centres in Kwara South Senatorial District". The project is listed under Aquatictic Bio-Resources Training Centre Tunari, Taraba State.
-N100 million for "Construction of motorised boreholes across communities in Isin Local Government area of Kwara South Senatorial District". The project is listed under Niger RBDA.
Ali Ndume (Borno South)
Three projects worth N722 million were allocated to the Borno South Senatorial District, which Mr Ndume represents.
The controversial senator has lost his Senate Whip position to Tahir Monguno (Borno North) after he fiercely criticised President Bola Tinubu's policies.
The projects his constituency benefitted from are:
-N500 million for "Construction of roads, drainages and culverts in Borno South Senatorial District. The project is listed under Housing.
-N122 million for "Provision of tricycle pick up vans in Borno South Senatorial District, Borno State. The project is listed under the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology Zaria (NARICT)
-N100 million for "Provision of tricycle (Keke NAPEP) in Borno South Senatorial District, Borno State. The project is listed under the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria. (NARICT)
Abba Moro (Benue South)
Eight projects worth N1.180 billion were allocated to Benue South Senatorial District, which Mr Moro represents.
Mr Moro became the minority leader a few months after the Court of Appeal sacked its former occupant, Simon Mwadkwon.
Like Mr Bamidele, some projects here are listed under irrelevant organisations.
They are:
-N200 million for "Electrification of Uwokwu, Benue South Senatorial District". The project is listed under Bio-Resources Development Centre, Makurdi.
-N50 million for "Completion of Ublegbe-Odebe-Otto electrification Ogbadigbo, Benue South Senatorial District". The project is under the Bio-Resources Development Centre, Makurdi.
-N20 million for "Completion of Ago electrification of Ogbadigbo LGA, Benue South Senatorial District ". The project is under the Bio-Resource Development Centre, Makurdi.
-N500 million for "Training of Youths in Agricultural value chain skills acquisition in Benue South Senatorial District". The project is under SHEDA.
-N200 million for the "Construction of internal road in Ugbokolo using Interlocking blocks Okpokwu LGA, Benue South Senatorial District". This project is listed under BCDA.
-N20 million for "Completion of Ekpemgbe electrification, Ado LGA Benue South Senatorial District ". The project is under BCDA.
-N140 million for "Purchase of drugs for various health care centres in Benue South Senatorial District". The project is under BCDA.
-N50 million for "Emergency repairs on a 12KM road Aikpla-Ihilikpa, Benue South Senatorial District". The project is under BCDA.
Oyewunmi Olalere (Osun West)
Six projects worth N1.130 billion were allocated to the Osun West Senatorial District, which Mr Oyeunmi represents.
They are:
-N200 million for "Provision of solar street lights in Iwo, Ede and Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun West Senatorial District."
The project is listed under NBRRI.
-N200 million for "Grants to vulnerable people, widows, and aged-people and physically challenged in Osun West Senatorial District, Osun State". The project is listed under the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Ilorin (NSPRI).
-N100 million for "Purchase and distribution of motorcycles to youths in Ola-Oluwa, Isokan and Ejigbo local government areas of Osun West Senatorial District, Osun State". The project is listed under the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Ilorin (NSPRI).
-N230 million for "Solar powered street lights in selected communities in Osun West Senatorial District". The project is listed under the National Institute for Construction Technology and Management, Uromi.
-N300 million for "Purchase and distribution of korope buses, and motorcycles to transport workers in selected communities of Osun West Senatorial District, Osun State". The project is listed under the Nigerian Institute of Construction Technology and Management, Uromi.
-N200 million for "Supply and installation of transformers at Ejigbo, Owode, Gbogan, Apomu and other critical areas in Osun West Senatorial District, Osun State". The project is listed under the National Centre for Energy and Environment.
Tinubu presents budget
President Tinubu presented the 2024 budget of N27.5 trillion to a joint session of the National Assembly in November 2023. It was his first full budget.
However, when they passed the budget, the lawmakers raised it to N28.7 trillion, an increase of N1.2 trillion.
The president signed the budget on 1 January 2024.
In July, the president requested the National Assembly to amend the Appropriation Act and the 2023 Finance Act by increasing it with N6.2 trillion.
Meanwhile, in March, Bauchi Central senator Abdul Ningi alleged that the budget was padded with over N3 trillion. The Senate, which denied the claim, suspended him. The PDP senator was recalled in May.
When the matter was being discussed on the Senate floor, Agom Jarigbe (PDP, Cross River North) claimed some ranking senators got N500 million worth of projects each for their constituencies. He did not mention the senators' names.
Perks of office necessary - Lawmaker
However, some lawmakers see nothing wrong with upper chamber leaders benefiting from their positions.
For instance, at the peak of the crisis, former Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe defended allocations to presiding and principal officers, saying there are some positions people occupy from which they should enjoy certain perks.
He revealed that his Abia South Senatorial District got constituency projects worth N266 million.
"So, I think that at the end of the day, what you see really is that...well, I'm an APGA senator-the only APGA senator in the Senate. Maybe, being a minority, they didn't consider me worthy of being given. Nobody told me about that money.
"I wanted to say that, without equivocation, both Jarigbe and the Senate leader tried to clarify this issue. Number one: Nobody was given N500 million. Even a few of my colleagues called me to say, 'Ahh! You get N500 million. We dey beg you for money, but you no wan give us one naira out of it.'
"Can you imagine? So, of course, I got N266 million for what's called the Zonal Intervention Fund, which Nigerians call "constituency projects" funds. And this thing takes a budget circle which is 12 months. So if at the end of 12 months you don't see what's in the budget for your constituency, then you hold your representatives whether in the House of Representatives or Senate culpable," Mr Abaribe said in a television interview.
Constituency Projects
The allocation of constituency projects, otherwise known as ZIP, was initiated during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to address the infrastructure deficit in all parts of the country.
A N100 billion fund is allocated annually to the lawmakers to execute projects in their constituencies.
However, Mr Obasanjo described it as nothing but corruption many years later.
"I hope our lawmakers will use their position and act positively so that when they put in road projects in the budget, they will not turn it into what they now term as constituency projects. You and I know what constituency project means; it is simply corruption," the former president had said.
Successive leaders after Mr Obasanjo took similar positions.
"Don't put the goat where the yam is because the goat will eat the yam," former President Goodluck Jonathan said in an apparent reference to corrupt acts dogging constituency projects.
For his part, in 2019, the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, lamented that the impact of the over N1 trillion allocated for constituency projects in the previous 10 years had not been felt.
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