.Lawmaker laments recession
A group of youths in Dutsen Kura-Gwari, Minna has accused the Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Ahmed Marafa, of abandoning them after being voted into office.
It also alleged that he failed to intervene in the replacement of damaged transformer to restore electricity in the area.
A section of Dutsen Kura-Gwari has been in darkness for months due to faulty transformer which is said to have been damaged beyond repairs and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) also claimed it has no transformer for its replacement.
While other parts of Minna, the state capital, have been enjoying electricity, the people of Dutsen Kura-gwari, a community predominantly dominated by the Gwaris has been in darkness throughout the yuletide and the New Year.
This development and many more have not gone down well with the people as a group of youths in the area through their spokesperson, Usman Choji, said that they regretted voting for the All Progressive Congress (APC) because they ‘don’t care about us’.
Despite promises of better days ahead by the party and its candidates, Usman said that nothing has been done for the community and the situation whereby the people are not feeling the impact of government is becoming unbearable.
“The only road here links to the airport but it is in a very bad shape and dusty. No water for almost a year now; the taps have gone dry. No light; we all went out on peaceful protest against AEDC and electricity supply improved in Minna metropolis in particular but we don’t have light”.
Usman said that it was unfortunate that the Speaker who is representing Chanchaga in the State Assembly has properties in Dutsen Kura-Gwari even though he lives elsewhere does not care a hoot about what the people are going through.
“Ahmed Marafa does not care about the people of his constituency whose mandate earned him the seat and the Speakership position”, Usman said as he expressed reservations on the Speaker’s lack of care for his people.
Efforts to contact the Speaker, Ahmed Marafa, to clarify some of the issues as raised by the youths however proved abortive when our correspondent visited the Assembly complex as the Clerk said, “It is not possible for you to see the Speaker”.
Meanwhile, House of Representatives member representing Bida/Katcha Federal Constituency, Bala Farouk, has appealed to people looking up to him and others for succour in the wake of biting poverty and hunger to stop forthwith because, ‘the recession is also affecting me and my family’.
Bombarding people elected into positions with endless list of demands, Farouk said, was becoming almost a tradition.
He asked: “Are they expecting legislators to perform miracles to meet both the demands of constituents as it is gradually becoming beyond the capacity of legislators.”
Farouk made the observations while addressing his constituents during a Legislative Outreach and Citizens Engagement Forum organized by the Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP) in Bida, Niger State.
“Most of the constituency projects are not being appreciated because the people expect legislators to perform miracles,” he lamented, adding that giving them money to meet their personal needs in addition to the huge sums spent on constituency projects is not just possible.
A situation whereby people flock round their homes and offices for financial gratifications, he said, was unbecoming of the electorates and that is why streamlining demands to reduce people’s expectations from their representatives has become imperative.
“The demands from the electorates are becoming overwhelming, there is the urgent need for the people to streamline their demands at least to give breathing space for elected officers who also have their personal needs besides legislative matters to deal with,” he said.