…Says lawmakers mangled NDDC bill after collecting bribes
… Alleges legislature wrecked budget system with self-serving projects
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again taken a swipe at the Nigerian legislature, describing the National Assembly as the country’s “biggest corruption hub” and accusing lawmakers of deliberately sabotaging governance to enrich themselves.
In his newly released book, Nigeria Past and Future: Contemplations on Nigeria’s History and Vision for Tomorrow, Obasanjo alleged that constituency projects, which lawmakers insert into the national budget, amount to “daylight unarmed robbery.”
“Constituency projects by lawmakers at national or state levels are daylight unarmed robbery. All involved must be treated as criminals,” he wrote.
The former president recalled how his anti-corruption efforts were frustrated by the same lawmakers, citing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bill as a case study.
According to him, the bill establishing the agency was deliberately delayed for more than a year and “watered down” before passage because many legislators feared they would end up in prison once they left office.
“I had to assent to the bill as they passed it because I was told if I returned it, the EFCC law would never have seen the light of day,” he disclosed.
Obasanjo further accused legislators of twisting other critical laws, pointing to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act as an example.
He alleged that some oil-producing states bribed lawmakers to exempt them from contributing to the commission’s funding.
“The NDDC bill was designed for oil companies, the Federal Government and the affected states to contribute to regional development. But some states bribed the lawmakers, and they excised states from making contributions,” he claimed.
The former leader also berated lawmakers for fixing their own salaries and allowances in breach of the Constitution, which gives that power to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
“The lawmakers granted themselves obscene salaries and allowances that make them the highest paid among developing countries and even higher than some developed countries,” he wrote.
He added that oversight visits by legislative committees had been turned into a cash cow, with lawmakers routinely extorting ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) under the guise of supervision.
Obasanjo, who had clashed repeatedly with legislators during his presidency, said the problem worsened under former President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of turning a blind eye to brazen budget manipulations and thereby becoming “an accomplice in the crime.”
“The president called nobody to order, and in doing so, he became an accomplice in a grand national robbery,” Obasanjo declared.
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