… Senators Don’t Collect Cash For Constituency Projects – Shehu Sani’s Aide
A pro- All Progressives Congress, group known as ‘APC Solidarity Forum(ASF)’ has urged Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial zone, Shehu Sani, to declare his list of constituency projects to constituents ahead of 2019 polls.
The group claimed that, Sani’s constituency projects allocated to him worth N380 million adding that he should show the projects to residents and “stop making empty rhetoric on President Muhammadu Buhari, governor Nasir El-Rufai and the APC in the media”
Reacting over the allegation, Senator Shehu Sani’s Special Adviser, Political and Ideology, Suleiman Ahmed, said no National Assembly member collects cash for constituency projects stressing that the senators only identity projects in their constituencies for the federal government to do.
But, ASF insisted that it has stumbled on shocking records from www.tracka.ng that have revealed in detail the projects and money voted for the Kaduna central constituency “From the records, the highest allocation, according to tracka – the constituency projects and funding monitoring agency – was for the construction of N150m Primary Healthcare Centre in Kaduna Central”
” In the tracka records, the second highest amount was N50m, earmarked for supply of hospital equipment in Giwa LG; another N50m for the provision of sewing machines and Grinding Machines for women empowerment in the Kaduna central senatorial Zone”
The group also pointed out that another N40m was allocated to the provision of modern farm equipment in the senatorial zone “This was closely followed by yet another allocation of N40m for the provision of agricultural equipment in the Senatorial Zone”
The group also said available records from the tracka report also revealed that another N50m was allocated for the provision of tricycles for youth empowerment in the senatorial Zone.
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In a statement signed by the group’s Chairman,Hafiz Ali Kujama, and made available to journalists in Kaduna, said the expectations of the people of Kaduna Central was that the Senator Shehu Sani would not “waste precious time on tantrums and diversionary attention-seeking in the media but delivering on his mandate, especially within the whooping allocation of N380m under his watch”
The group also alleged that, Sani appeared to have abdicated his legislative responsibility by engaging in unnecessary quarrels with perceived political rivals instead of “devoting it to use of the over N300m provided for his constituency’s projects before and up to the year 2018”
The group added : “We are not even asking questions about the N13.5 million he himself confessed to collecting every month and another N750,000 monthly as Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial Zone in the last three years. But certainly, in due course we will ask more questions about all the millions so far allocated to the Zone so that the voters of the Zone would be sufficiently guided”
The group further claimed that the media visibility of Sani ” has been more about picking quarrels with people who helped him win election in 2015 than initiating any bills for the development of Kaduna Central, while monies meant to develop the poor voters of Kaduna Central have remained unaccounted for”
The statement urged the people of Kaduna Central to insist on “specific records of the Constituency Projects that can be credited to Senator Shehu Sani between 2015 and now to “ascertain whether he can be voted again by the people” the group said.
However, on his part, Senator Shehu Sani’s Special Adviser, Political and Ideology, Suleiman Ahmed, told LEADERSHIP on telephone that :”I will respond by telling you that,no senator collects constituency projects money, what I know is that a senator can say I want this and that project for my constituency and the federal government will put it in the budget. After,that the ministry will bid for the project. A senator will not even know the contractor”
Sani’s aide added “Mind you,while choosing projects for your constituency, there is a limit because each senator has equal annual constituency projects budget but I can tell you no cash is given to any senator or House of representatives member for constituency projects. How can Senator Shehu Sani will corner the constituency projects money that is not given to him?
Senator Shehu Sani has built three hospitals among other numerous projects for his constituency which you and anybody can verify. He sponsored highest bills and motions in the history of Kaduna central senatorial zone, so I can tell you the allegations against him are false,baseless” he explained.
