Stop misinforming the people-Senator
Senator Chris Anyanwu representing Owerri Zone at the Senate has been asked to account for the appropriations running into billions of naira to the zone.
He said but for the intervention of journalists and other stakeholders, he would have been manhandled by the senator’s aides.
He recalled that the senator fumed furiously when he posed the question to her.
Nigeria Newspoint listened to a recorded tape in which the senator responded thus: You are the gentleman canvassing what you do not know. You are going around confusing traditional rulers. I encountered your confusion at Mbaitoli and you must desist from this nonsense because what is appropriated is not always what is released and you don’t know that’.
Okorie stated that his association had observed that a total of N11.1billion was appropriated for capital projects in the 27 local government areas of the state while N1.3billion is meant for youth empowerment in the 2012 budget.
The public policy analyst wondered why the senator should be piqued that he enquired to know about appropriations to Owerri zone and the state at large.
He maintained that the senator should be happy that his group had taken up the duty that her office should have been discharging.
He insisted that Owerri zone deserves to know what is due to it and how it has been disbursed.
Similarly, he demanded that Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives should explain whether the empowerment programme he held for youths was same as the one captured in the budget.
He noted that the 2012 budget appropriated more than N278million for three youth and women empowerment programmes to the state.
A group, Association for Public Policy Analysis (APPA) made the call in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Owerri, Imo State capital.
The group also asked the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha to explain whether his empowerment programme is the one allotted to Imo State in this year’s budget.
National president of the group, Princewill Okorie who signed the statement maintained that Senator Anyanwu cannot cow his group.
He stated that his group would not relent in monitoring and analysing projects appropriated to Owerri Zone.
Okorie said the senator’s attack on him for demanding explanations concerning projects appropriated to the zone is unacceptable.
He stated he had attended the public hearing on constitution review organized by the three senators representing the three zones held at Imo Concorde Hotel on Monday.
According to Okorie, he asked the senator why N1.4billion was appropriated for Aboh/Mbaise Local Government Area with a population of 195,652 people while Mbaitoli LGA with a larger population of 237,555 people got only N418, 500.
Okorie said instead of answering the question, the legislator directed his aides to bundle him out of the venue of the event.
Credit: www.nigerianewspoint.com
