Chikezie’s practical constituency projects

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BY AWELE Ugbogu  Published in The Pointer Newspaper of today, Thursday, July 23, 2020) Page 8

The constituency projects that are presently being undertaken under the auspices of Hon. Austin Chikezie, who is representing Aniocha South Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA) are worthy democratic dividends to his constituents, for they go beyond refurbishments and paint works, but he is making foundations and building enduring structures from scratch.

Chikezie, picture taken in September 2016 in his office as agric commissioner
PHOTO: Goddy Umukoro

Indeed, Chikezie has corrected the impression about constituency projects and has shown that it can be used to create prosperity at the constituency level. You may ask: “overall, what is his vision in all these things that he is doing as constituency projects in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State?” It goes to show that the legislative mandate he was given a little over a year ago is about the people and for the good of the people of Aniocha South Local Government Area, as exemplified by his true developmental legislation in the Delta State House of Assembly as well as physical welfare provision for the constituents. It also shows that he does not really care whether the constituents are from Ogwashi, Ubulu or Nsukwa clan, so long as he is in the State Assembly for the good of the entire three clans, it does not matter if some persons are engaging in clannish conspiracy in oder to execute their plot against that one clan that had by far spent the least number of years in the State Assembly.

adonte primary school, one of his many constituency orojects

He has demonstrated that as someone who coasted to a landslide victory as the representative of his people, he can do all he can to ensure that everybody has the benefit of that representation, that you can think for everyone, not necessarily for yourself. Now, the idea is that if you are in a political position and you have something to offer, you do not need to start with yourself, if you believe that these are the people that you are representing, you can as well ensure that they strongly feel your presence through your voice and welfare, because not everyone would be at the Assembly to fight for themselves. This is the exact attitude that has kept Chikezie going and kept political plotters against him wondering.

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle averred that state exists for public goods and continues to exist for the greater good of humanity. Democracy, on the other hand, gives people the opportunity to determine how they are governed. Naturally, the electorate or body of Nigerian masses look up to government for democratic dividends. The legislature, in response to the yearnings of their constituents for development/constituency presence, demanded and got constituency projects.

Constituency projects actually started with former president, Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. The then federal legislators took their case to the former president, that they be given the financial enablement to physically touch the lives of their people. But it was not until 2007 that the National Assembly then felt it was necessary to have a conversation with the executive to institutionalise the issue of constituency projects. History was made by way of a platform that allows the legislature to go beyond plenary to practical developmental impact on their constituents.

Such is being replicated by the legislative excellence of Hon. Chikezie, that necessitates that the people should appreciate a representative that is, not just a vibrant voice for attraction of general development of the entire constituency, but a source of welfare through identification, implementation strategy and execution of constituency projects. At its inception, I recall that after a lengthy conversation with the then president, late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, he yielded to funds being channeled to the National Assembly as constituency projects, which has continued. Hence, it is a legacy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that had been conveniently inherited by the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite attempts to pick holes in it before coming to power. Gratefully, it had not been killed for being a PDP idea under the guise of a supposed change mantra. No doubt that constituency projects had worked well and still works well, especially with fine legislative brains who are desirous of complimenting the executive with critical infrastructure provision, within the confines of present-day budgetary constraints.

This informs why, in the circumstances, Chikezie has weighed all those options and looked at the most pressing areas and location on the basis of comparative advantage, in deciding the sites and what projects would add the most value to the communities and he has then placed such constituency projects in those areas. However, none of the others are a forgone conclusion because for him, it is work in progress. Indeed, nobody misses out when you have the right man for the job in the calibre of no less a person with much political experience and management acumen as Hon. Austin Chikezie.

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