By Adebayo Fajinmi
A member of House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Salam, representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/ Ejigbo.
Federal Constituency has reacted over the allegation of a socio-economic group in Osun State, known as Transparency and Accountability Group(TAG), that the lawmaker is on the verge of “promoting projects under phantom names, devoid of relevance to the government institution.”
Speaking with TOS News on Wednesday, when asked of his position on the allegations and questions being raised by TAG over Zonal Intervention Projects in his constituency: Provision of Empowerment Programmes for Youths and Women, nominated for execution under National Boundary Commission and Rural Electrification Project which he nominated for execution under Lottery Trust Fund , Salam said, the projects are part of budget and he will ensure that they are achieved.
“My position is that, it is included in the budget and I will ensure that concerned Agency implement them accordingly,” he said.
TAG, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ayo Ologun had earlier considered the Zonal Intervention Projectss by Salam : Provision of empowerment programmes for youths and women of Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency – (24,000,000)-NPC, Provision of empowerment programs in Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency (50,000,000)Lottery Trust Fund and Rural electrification project in Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, Ejigbo Federal Constituency (50,000,000) – National Boundary Commission to be too questionable, especially for nominating for execution, rural electrification project under the National Boundary Commission and for placing yet another empowerment programme under the National Population Commission.
“We understand that the mission of the National Lottery Trust Fund is to strategically complement the efforts of government in improving the quality of life for all Nigerians through the investment of lottery funds in innovative projects that responds to the need of our people. We do not see any correlation between the mission of this Agency and the project placed there by Hon. Salam.
“We also find worrisome, the decision by Hon. Salam to place yet another empowerment programme under the National Population Commission. There is also the question of why he overlooked the Rural Electrification Agency, to place a rural electrification project under the National Boundary Commission. Are these distortions not pointers to possible diversion of funds that will be hard to trace? Does the appearance of Empowerment projects under two different irrelevant Agencies not appear like a gravitation toward personal enrichment?” TAG asked.
