Bleak Christmas forces lawmakers into hiding

Senators, both from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have reportedly gone into hiding, as the current economic recession bites harder.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that many lawmakers, predominantly drawn from the south who are Christians, resolved to boycott their constituencies and have also refused to distribute the statutory Christmas packages to their constituents.

The lawmakers, who in the past, stormed their constituencies with truck load of bags of rice, rams, chickens, groundnut oil and other food items, did not distribute anything during this year’s Christmas celebration.

Two lawmakers from Edo State, one a Senator and the other a member of the House of Representatives, did not distribute bags of rice this year. The two lawmakers, like many of their counterparts from other parts of the country, did not host their constituents to give accounts of stewardship.

Last year for instance, the two Edo lawmakers, distributed bags of rice and held huge parties for their constituents. Music bands were invited, while each ward in all the local government areas of the Senatorial District, got three cows each.

One of the Edo lawmakers who spoke to Ripples Nigeria in confidence, said he was yet to recoup the millions of naira he expended during last year’s general elections. He added that since 2016 is not an election year, he could ignore the yearly distribution of food items to his constituents.

Also, a member of the House of Representatives from Mbaise area of Imo State, is not exempted from the effects of a bleak Christmas.

He bluntly told Ripples Nigeria that since he is not a chairman of any of the committees in the House, he could therefore not raise any funds to buy food items for his constituents.

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“Between 2011 and 2015, I was a deputy chairman of a juicy committee. At the end of the day, heads of various parastals of the agencies we were supervising, brought money and other huge items. In fact, they used to pay for a truck load of rice that I used to share for my people.

“With this thing they call TSA, that is impossible now. This is coupled with the fact that I am not a committee chairman or a deputy. I am just a member of the House and that is a problem.

“Even if I spend what I currently earn now to buy food items for my people, it will still not be enough. What I have decided to do is to go to Lagos with my family. Next year, I hope things will be better so that I can resume what I used to do,” the Imo lawmaker said.

Aides and other office assistants to lawmakers are not exempted from the economic downturn affecting their principals. No bags of rice were distributed this year to aides.

Journalists covering the Senate and the House of Representatives are not immune. Editors who hitherto got good patronage from lawmakers, did not get anything this Christmas.
By Ehisuan Odia….

 

 

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