What inspires lawmakers to run away from their constituents - Katsina Speaker

Katsina State House of Assembly speaker, Aliyu Sabiu Muduru, expressed reasons why some lawmakers run away from their constituencies.

The speaker explained that the decision of the lawmakers may be because of how people seek personal needs rather than collective needs of the electorate.

He made the assertion at a one day interactive forum tagged “Citizens Conservation and National Interest” organised by National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with a German-based foundation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, held at Liyafa Palace Hotel Katsina.

Muduru urged the stakeholders to enlighten the public on the primary role of the elected public officials in order to overcome one the challenges facing the smooth growth of democracy and ensure that law makers do not shy from the electorate.

He also disclosed that the state legislators had passed no fewer than 18 bills into law and endorsed over 130 motions in their efforts to render quality service to the electorate in the current legislative year.

In his keynote address, second republic law maker, Senator Abba Ali, expressed worry that most members of the national and state assemblies shun their constituencies after their election.

Citing greed and ingratitude of some law makers as the actual reason many of them shun their electorate, the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) urged them to always remember their social contract with their people.

“Many senators and members of the House of Representatives are particularly found guilty of this negative attitude. Probably due to greed and not appreciating or realizing or conceding to the fact that it is the huge sum of money they collected every now and then as genuine and less than genuine allowances and constituency projects that cause the rush,” he said.

Earlier, the state director of NOA, Armaya’u Liti Rimaye, noted that the programme was designed to promote transparency and accountability in governance as well as create awareness among stakeholders on government business.

He was also optimistic that the forum would promote democracy, rule of law, unity and dignity of labour while creating a platform for public education.