Proposed NASS Renovation & the great outcry against its budget -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

I’ll like to begin this political opinion by first relating to you my experience when I went to the national assembly complex to see a friend recently. Even though the uproar over the cost of renovating the complex has more than proved that I am not the only one who feels this way; yet it feels good to know that one was not a lone ranger particularly on matters that has to do with the polity these days. Writers are too careful now, you know over the subject of hate speech and its proposed punishment; that no one wishes to err.

The day was a Wednesday and I was there to see a good man who worked with a Senator for Edo state and upon entrance to the office, my very first remarks were about the very rich-looking red-colored rug that covered the floor. This piece of furniture was so neat you could easily assume that it was brought in Tuesday night! Before long, I was already saying “Bros, na yesterday una fit this beautiful rug here?” “No na. Na this beauty wey sidon here dey take good care of the furniture.” He replied.

That his response had wowed me greatly is to state the obvious. Then I began to take notice of the painting, the foreign door, the leather seats, the ceiling etc., and they were all of a high rate finish. And then I concluded that this legislative complex is clearly built in precast concrete which are fitted together to match and from what I know such buildings are never in danger until at least 60 to 65 years. But for bridges expectancy is within 50 years. The question is: How old is the complex since Messrs ITB Nigeria built it?

The national assembly complex was built in the year of 1999 and although it was awarded in February 18^th, 1996 by the FCDA during the General Sani Abacha (late) military regime at the cost of $35.18 million USD. Going by today’s exchange rate, it would’ve cost taxpayer’s the sum of #12.67 billion naira ($1 = #360) to build a brand new assembly complex but alas, the budget for a renovation of the already existing complex stands at #37 billion naira only – 3 times the original cost!

This sum (though sparked an outcry from the already over-taxed Nigerian masses) speaks volume especially in terms of details. Now, every visionary leader understands that the number one project was the people. If he would spend on building skyscrapers and road networks he would first ensure that the people who would use these amenities eventually were happy and sufficiently satisfied but this seems to not be the case in Nigeria.

I do not know the details of the renovation package; whether it was going to make the national assembly complex more ICT studded as an answer to proper security or whether it was going to be state-of-the-art as an answer to meeting global construction standards. Whatever it is; the people have no way of benefitting from all those if they have not benefitted from what obtained presently.

And so; it makes sense to see why the outcry against the proposed renovation budget was worthy of any writers’ empathy. There has never been a problem with democracy; the problem has always been with the perspective given to it by the Nigerian political class! Elsewhere, democracy was about the people, the masses, and the citizens; but here in Nigeria, it is all about the political class and whatever they decided to give priority to. Currently about 55% of Nigerians in rural settlements cannot – I repeat, cannot – buy a 50kg bag of homegrown rice!

About 50% Nigerians do not own their house! And the average daily take home wage is less than $4 USD. The NBS statistics of the unemployed puts the figure of 22%. This percentage captured the ages of 17 to 40 years. If we have one-third of the 22% as citizens of the age of 35 to 40 and they are with families that depended on them; it simply meant that an average of 3 people (wife and two kids) depending on each of the one-third of 22% cannot afford a bag of rice. Look at that!

Aside this, it is the people – when they are satisfied with the impact of these democratic administrations since 1999 – that ought to make the case for the renovation of NASS! The outcry against this proposal again showed that the masses are yet to make sense of a democratic experience that has kept them mostly poor, without a sense of belonging and in darkness while it made millionaires and billionaires of those they elected to serve. The citizens are far from being satisfied.

The masses are indeed in a trap. Like the political leaders, the religious leaders also concentrated on buildings and gave less attention to the needs of members who congregated every worship day. It is unfortunate that leadership in Nigeria gave much attention and service to inanimate and inconsequential things while the citizens mattered only when it came to taxation or abusing their trust! A renovation proposal costing #37 billion being dangled in the faces of a hungry mass? What a sick country that we have.

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh; an advocate for attitudinal change writes from Abuja. 08062577718.