A member of the House of Representatives, Babangida Ibrahim-Mahuta (APC-Katsina), on Saturday, called for increased media role in public enlightenment of legislative duties and limitations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ibrahim-Mahuta represents the Malumfashi/Kafur Federal Constituency, Katsina State.
Ibrahim-Mahuta, who made this call in a chat with NAN while inspecting an erosion control project in Malumfashi, stressed the need for increased understanding of legislative member duties among the people.
He said such enlightenment programmes and writings on legislative activities would broaden the understanding of the constituents in the area of high expectations.
“The public, especially those at the grassroots, need to be properly guided and informed on legislative functions, finances and operation of constituency offices in order to reduce frivolous high expectations,’’ he said.
Ibrahim-Mahuta, the Chairman House Committee on Finance, said zonal interventions and constituency projects are being executed by the executive arm of government based on constituents’ demands.
He called on the people to understand that all government projects are being executed in stages, adding that this depended on available statutory budgets, which could be on the basis of percentages.
The lawmaker cautioned against the criticism of lawmakers or branding some projects being facilitated by them as abandoned for political interest.
He explained that the duty of the legislature was to make laws, and process budgets with oversight functions for proper execution.
He said that other routine packages such as medical, scholarship bursary awards and empowerment schemes for people were mostly prerogatives.
Ibrahim-Mahuta said those constituents’ demands forwarded to some lawmakers negated the statutory provisions of the law.
According to him, most of the demands are centered on personal and group needs, noting that attending to such needs, depend on the lawmaker’s capability and interest.
Ibrahim-Mahuta lamented that the absence of elected Local Governments had constituted an increased burden on national and state assembly members, as various demands could be handled by chairmen or councilors.
He listed the construction of Dayi and Dankanjiba dams in Malumfashi and Kafur Local Government Areas, the construction of 10 km road, erosion control projects and drilling of 96 boreholes, as community projects he facilitated. (NAN)