The Project and Program Manager for Tracka, a civic technology platform, Mercy Danjuma has admonished lawmakers to stop labelling constituency projects as “donations to their constituents.”

The project manager noted that the labelling of constituency projects as a donation by lawmakers was a malicious attempt to deliberately misinform their constituents for selfish political interests.

She therefore urged lawmakers to stop the trend, noting that the naming of constituency projects as donations was fast becoming a habit among lawmakers.

While speaking in an interview in Abuja, she said: “Constituency projects should not be labelled as donations by community representatives in the National Assembly. This is a malicious attempt by lawmakers at deliberately misinforming their constituents for selfish political interests.

“Lawmakers should not label tax-funded projects as a personal donation. It is a way of misinforming their constituents of the government’s efforts to taxpayers’ contribution. Such action has to stop.

“The word ‘donation’ means using your personal funds to execute projects, but taxpayers’ funded projects should not be tagged as ‘donations’. It is wrong for lawmakers to continue with this fraud.”

She said Tracka had observed the habit by lawmakers to continuously label constituency projects as a donation, saying this was a malicious attempt to deliberately misinform constituents for selfish political gains.

Speaking further, the project manager stated that the action raises questions about the integrity of the lawmakers involved.

According to the Tracka Project Manager, what legislators do is facilitate projects for their constituencies and not donate projects.

She stated: “It has been a practice for legislators to name projects facilitated by them as ‘donation’ to their constituents. When you use the title ‘donated’ it appears you are only distributing patronage as well as providing support to your constituents from your own pocket.

“What legislators do is facilitate projects but not donate projects. But sometimes when the concept donation is used it is just used oftentimes to deceive constituents and that can also be used as a way of justifying constituency allowances that legislators have to attract projects to their constituencies.

“So they are not the ones funding the projects because they are not using their money, it is not their money. It is taxpayers’ money and it is the money for the country.

“If you attract projects (to your constituency) let it be clearly stated there. It is just part of integrity, accountability and transparency to say that you facilitated this, these are the clients, these are the contractors and it is based on what is provided in the budget but not to claim; claiming that you donated when in actual fact you only facilitated the project raises questions about integrity.”

She added that Tracka – a platform used by BudgIT Foundation to engage citizens on good governance would continue to call out lawmakers who label constituency projects as donations.

She added: “Constituency projects are nominated by representatives either at the federal or state level for the benefit of indigenes at the grassroots. It is also a means for citizens to feel the impact of governance in their communities. These projects are implemented using taxpayers’ money.

“Nigerians have a right to know how their tax contributions are being utilised. However, recent findings have shown that representatives at the National Assembly have formed the habit of labelling projects funded with public resources as “donations.”

“Such ‘fraudulent appellation’ many have argued, should not be allowed to continue since the funds for these projects are released by the Federal Government. The Federal Government spends N100 billion yearly on constituency projects nominated by members of the National Assembly.”