Parliamentarians from Abia State are fuming over the non-implementation of their constituency projects in the state.

The eight members of the House of Representatives from Abia are angry that none of their N2 billion constituency projects duly captured in the 2012 federal government budget has been considered for implementation.

Chief Chinenye Ike, the member representing Isiala Ngwa North/South, speaking on behalf of the rest today, told newsmen in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, that investigations in their constituencies have revealed that their constituency projects were yet to take off the ground three months to the end of the year.

The projects cover rural electrification, solar boreholes, mini-water scheme, building of classroom blocks, Information Communication Technology projects; construction of cottage hospitals and health centres, poverty alleviation and youth empowerment schemes.

“These projects are domiciled in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government. The total amount for these projects is well over N2 billion,” said Ike who represents Abia on the House Committee on Constituency Outreach.

The committee monitors implementation of constituency projects of members of the House of Representatives.

Ike (shown in photo) said he was mandated by the committee to proceed to Abia on oversight function to assess and ascertain the level of performance/implementation of the capital projects in the federal budget of 2012 with constituency projects in focus.

“My investigations carried in the constituencies reveal that as at the end of September 2012, not a single contract for these projects has been awarded. This is really sad, considering the fact that the financial year ends by 31^st December 2012,” the lawmaker lamented.

He said it was disheartening that after the parliamentarians have laboured hard to ensure that these constituency projects were captured in the budget, they end up being merely written in the budget without execution.

Ike said the lawmakers were angry because without the execution of these projects, their constituents would not feel the positive impact of their representation and would hold the belief that they were in Abuja for jamboree.

“Capital projects are the only things that will touch the lives of our constituents positively. Without them, they will feel we are not doing anything,” he said.

He said the Abia lawmakers have chosen to speak out to enlighten the public on their efforts, accusing those charged with implementation of the budget of embarking on selective implementation.

Update news