Senator Remi Tinubu’s planned poverty alleviation programme may sound like another respite for the people of Lagos Central Senatorial District, but the Local Governments and LCDAs under the constituency do not think so.
According to a source in the finance department of one of the Local Governments, the Senator, who is the wife of the National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, had ordered the local governments to procure the materials to be distributed as part of her constituency project.
The Senior Local Government Official (who craves anonymity), lamented that the request infringed on the already strained budget of the LCDAs.
“The Local Government has so many responsibilities to undertake and the funds available are not sufficient, her excellency’s request inconvenienced us the more” the official said.
Senator Remi Tinubu had in a meeting with all the local governments and LCDAs Chairmen under her constituency on Thursday, 29th November, 2012 briefed them of them of elderly support programme and demanded their contribution. The planned programme was said to be aimed at assisting elderly people in the senatorial district and the programme will take place simultaneously in all the local governments and LCDAs in the district.
It will be recalled that each Senator of the Federal Republic is given a particular some of money to undertake projects in their constituencies. However, the senators have come under intense criticism in recent times as Nigerians believe the senators are not doing enough with the allocation.
A Lagos Professor who spoke to our correspondent but wished to remain anonymous, said that lagosians are now clamouring for Mrs Tinubu to be recalled unless she gives an account of how she utilizes her constituency funds.
The professor also stressed that they are agitating that certain political positions should be given to Lagos indigenes with ancestral lineage and not by outsiders linked by marriage. He also buttressed his point that if senator Remi Tinubu was from Lagos she would use the senatorial allocation on the people of her senatorial district. He went on further to say that there are other women who are Lagos state indigenes who are capable and competent and will do well in that senatorial seat, and advised all political parties to take note and ensure a son or daughter of lagos state fills that seat.
