A civic rights group in Benue State has invited National Assembly members to a townhall meeting to account for billions of naira allocated for constituency and intervention projects across the state.
The initiative, led by the Benue Development Movement (BDM), follows a petition from constituents demanding public briefings from their lawmakers on the implementation status of these projects as part of a citizen-led accountability drive.
In a press release signed by State Coordinator Comrade Isaac Abah, the group revealed that serving senators reportedly receive up to N2 billion in constituency allowances while House of Representatives members receive approximately N1 billion each.
"Our findings indicate that there has been a significant increase in constituency allowances... At face value, these funds are meant to tackle socio-economic challenges in their constituencies, but evidence shows that much of the funding is not properly utilised," the statement reads.
Public Accountability Initiative
To promote transparency, BDM plans to host a Mid-Term Public Accountability Briefing townhall where all federal lawmakers from Benue State will be invited to explain the execution of their 2024/2025 constituency projects.
The group has also released a comprehensive list of 39 constituency projects and 72 interventions included in the 2024 federal budget. This information is intended to enable citizens to conduct on-the-ground assessments and raise informed questions during the townhall meeting.
Project Allocations by Federal Constituency
Among the project allocations highlighted by the group are:
- N370 million for Guma constituency, covering construction of motorised boreholes, provision of solar street lights, ICT and digital literacy training, digital enterprise empowerment for youth, and supply of empowerment tools.
- N790 million for various projects including construction and installation of solar street lights, procurement and distribution of tricycles and motorcycles for youth and women empowerment, skills acquisition programs with starter packs, construction and rehabilitation of rural roads, drilling of boreholes, medical outreach initiatives, and educational support through procurement of science equipment and renovation of school facilities.
The BDM's initiative represents a growing trend of citizen-led accountability measures in Nigeria, where constituents are increasingly demanding transparency regarding the utilization of public funds allocated for development projects in their communities.
