A newly constructed constituency project road facilitated by Mr. Idris Wase, a federal lawmaker from Plateau State has been washed off by rain before its commissioning.
The Wakat-Basha road located at the Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State was completely washed off by rainfall shortly after it was completed and awaiting to be commissioned, Mr. Ibrahim Umar said.
The incident, however, shows that Mr. Wase who is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives may have watched a contractor constructs a fake and substandard road for the people he represents at the National Assembly.
Mr. Ephraim, who comes from the constituency and prefers his first name to be mentioned, told MAWA that Mr. Wase is notorious for misappropriating monies meant for constituency projects.
Ephraim said many of the constituency projects facilitated by Mr. Wase, are fake and do not stand the test of time.
“The last time Wase the lawmaker came home, he was booed by his people, everybody knows he does not mean well, he is one mistake we have made, by the grace of God we shall vote him out,” Ephraim said.
It is unclear how rainfall washed off a newly constructed road. However, Mr. Monday Angas, a civil engineer, told MAWA that the incident is nothing but a clear manifestation of corruption. According to him, the average life span of a well-constructed road is between 30 to 35 years.
“We must stop this wicked corruption in Nigeria, the average life span of a well-constructed road before maintenance can be done is between 30 to 35 years,” Angas told MAWA.
Last year, MAWA Foundation published a report on how Mr. Wase, allegedly blocked Tracka a public accountability organization from tracking and inspecting his constituency Projects located at Wase Local Government Area of Plateau state and threatened the official to leave the town or face severe consequences.
You do not have the right to track my constituency projects, leave Wase community immediately before a terrible thing happens to you, go to the government agency in charge of the projects and ask them about updates, Mr. Danjuma, Personal Assistant (PA) to Wase allegedly told Tracka officials.
Constituency projects are nominated by the lawmakers for the needs of their constituents and recommended same to the executive during budgeting; this will help to improve the living condition of the people in their constituents through building local infrastructures.
However, Nigerian experience has shown that Federal Lawmakers do not execute constituency projects as they appear in the national budget, and getting them to account for monies approved for such intervention is always difficult.
And, often community residents are not aware such monies have been given to their representatives, and that makes accountability very difficult.
MAWA – Foundation could not immediately reach out to Mr. Wase for an official response.