Lagos, March 17, 2024 – Ned Nwoko, the Senator representing Delta North, says he got N1 billion worth of projects for his constituents in the 2024 federal Budget.
Nwoko said this when he appeared on ‘Mic On podcast’, a programme hosted by Seun Okinbaloye of Channels Television.
Nwoko’s revelation is coming amid the recent controversy of budget padding alleged by Senator Abdul Ningi regarding the 2024 budget.
Speaking on Senator Ali Ndume’s claims that the allocation of resources to the legislators often varies based on the magnitude of their constituency projects, Nwoko indicated that it’s not uncommon for some, including himself, to receive larger amounts.
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.
“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 did 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. (GBN)
