*Calls “Oversight Visits Now Pure Money Collection Schemes”
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched a scathing critique of Nigeria’s lawmakers, describing them as “much worse” than their predecessors in the First, Second, and Third Republics.
Obasanjo made the remarks in his recently released book, Nigeria Past and Future: Contemplations on Nigeria’s History and Vision for Tomorrow, particularly in Chapter Seven, titled “Lawmakers at Federal and State Levels.”
He accused legislators at both national and state levels of devising constituency projects “in their hunger for illegitimate money,” calling them daylight “unarmed robbery” that distorts the national budget and fuels corruption.
Obasanjo also recalled his experiences with lawmakers during his tenure as a military leader and democratically elected president. He noted that the passage of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bill took a year and a half in the National Assembly, and even then, it was “somewhat watered down.”
“Some of them said that if they passed the bill as I had sent it, most of them would go to jail after their term as lawmakers. I had to assent to the bill as they passed it because it was hinted to me that some of them were expecting me to veto the bill, and it would never have seen the light of the day after,” he said.
He cited other instances, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) bill, which he said was altered by lawmakers to serve private interests, thereby undermining regional development objectives.
Obasanjo criticised the lawmakers for breaching the Constitution, particularly regarding the determination of their salaries. He pointed out that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) is constitutionally tasked with setting salaries for elected officials, yet lawmakers have granted themselves “obscene” allowances, making them the highest paid among developing nations.
“In our Constitution, no group is allowed to determine its salary and emoluments… They set aside the provision of the Constitution and granted themselves obscene salaries and allowances that make them the highest paid among the developing countries and even higher than some developed countries,” he said.
The former president said lawmakers have institutionalised oversight visits purely to collect money from ministries and parastatals. He argued that this, along with the insertion of constituency projects into the budget without consultation, has turned the budget-making process into a “joke or a caricature.”
“Constituency projects by lawmakers at national or state levels are daylight unarmed robbery. All involved must be treated as criminals,” Obasanjo said.
He further lamented that while such acts were once less brazen, recent years have seen greater audacity, with the Executive failing to check lawmakers’ misconduct.
“The last point in this voracious attitude of the lawmakers to satisfy themselves at the expense of the nation and the common people is what they call oversight visits. They visit projects purely to collect money. It is shockingly bad!” he added.
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