- Nwoko’s revelation is coming amid the recent controversy of budget padding alleged by Senator Abdul Ningi of the 2024 budget with an extra N3.7 trillion, a fund not tied to any extra project.
- The senator said he does not want to know who the contractors executing the projects are, but only cares about the delivery of the projects he has been able to attract to Delta north.
The senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, claims he was successful in luring projects worth N1 billion for his people.
Nwoko made this statement during his appearance on the “Mic On podcast” show, which is hosted by Channels Television journalist, Seun Okinbaloye.
Following Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe’s recent accusation that certain “senior” senators received N500 million for projects, there has been a resurgence of interest in the allocations made by federal parliamentarians for constituency projects. Senator Jarigbe represents Cross River North.
Jarigbe made the assertion during a senate discussion of Abdul Ningi’s (since suspended) allegation that the 2024 budget was inflated by N3 trillion. Ningi is a senator from Bauchi Central.
Nwoko said he would have preferred a scenario where the constituency project allocation to every senator is fixed.
“The way it is done now, you basically rely on your weights and contacts to see what you can get for your people,” he said.
“Well, it is just the system. Just the system. It is a system in Nigeria… like I said, I’d have preferred a situation where we all know what we are getting — you don’t need to lobby for it and it is a standard thing.
“All the 109 senators from the onset should know what is going on in their particular district.
“A better approach would have been for senatorial uniformity. So if they say that everyone should get about N1 billion, so be it. But this way, you rely on your weight and contacts to see what you can get for your people.
“This is not money for us. It is money for projects within our senatorial districts. So if you have roads, water projects, training programmes all aggregate to a certain sum.”
Asked if he received as much as N1 billion in allocation, the senator said: “Of course I did. That’s why I am who I am. But these are projects for my people.”
The senator said he does not want to know who the contractors executing the projects are, but only cares about the delivery of the projects he has been able to attract to Delta north.
On March 13, Ali Ndume, chief whip of the senate, said presiding and principal officers received more in constituency project allocation because “some animals are more equal than others”.