NUJ,JDPI urges more responsive representations from Ekiti federal legislators

The Justice Development and Peace Initiative (JDPI) of the Catholic church and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ekiti State council, have called on federal legislators representing Ekiti North Senatorial Districts to be more responsive to their constituents, ensuring that projects nominated for their various constituencies align with the needs of the people.

This was stated when unveiling the citizens’ watch report on the performance of the lawmaker representing Ekiti North senatorial district, Senator Cyril Fasuyi; lawmakers representing Ikole/Oye federal constituency 1, Hon Akintunde Rotimi and his counterpart in Ido-Osi/Moba/Ilejeme federal constituency II, Hon Kolawole Akinlayo.

Revd Father Emmanuel Akingbade the director of the JDPI noted that the findings were a result of the responses received from the random citizens interviewed across the constituencies.

While noting that the lawmakers were in office to advance the course of their constituents with quality legislative engagements and constituency projects,  the cleric explained that the lawmakers should be more accessible and available to impact their constituencies positively.

He acknowledged the various interventions of the three federal lawmakers in the area of empowerment and projects, adding that there is need for them to follow up with contractors and agencies on the projects in the budgets for effective implementation.

His words, “The findings apparently show that the representatives whose performances have been examined need to work on the quality of their representations. The system of democracy which we practice in Nigeria is ‘Participation Through Representation’.

“This practice requires back-and-forth at all times between the representatives and the people they are representing; otherwise, the representatives might just be representing themselves and their loyalists while they think that they are representing the people.

“In the light of this, we recommend the following: the representatives need to put a clearly defined methodology in place as regards how they connect with the people they represent inclusively. Periodic Citizens’ Engagement is non-negotiable.

“That nominated projects for a constituency must align with the needs of the people of the constituency is more than stating the obvious.

“The people need to be more concerned with the projects being nominated for their Senatorial District and Federal Constituencies now that a Senator is entitled to nominate constituency projects worth Two Billion Naira yearly for his/her Senatorial District, and a Member of the House of Representatives is entitled to nominate constituency projects worth One Billion Naira yearly for his/her Federal Constituency.

“ Our collective efforts can achieve responsive and responsible governance, electorates should continue to ask their representatives questions”.

The chairman of the Ekiti State NUJ, Kayode Babatuyi reiterated the constitutional role of the media to hold leaders and representatives of the people accountable in the interest of the people.

He added that the partnership between the NUJ and the JPDI was aimed at calling the attention of the lawmakers to the areas that need improvements and not to  belittle their personalities as believed by some quarters.