By Abiodun Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The lawmaker representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun and Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Tunji Olawuyi, popularly called Ajuloopin, has declared that only the constituents and not the legislator can lay claim to the ownership of any constituency project.
Olawuyi said this in a chat with our correspondent on Thursday in Omu-Aran, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area in reaction to a rumour that he had been laying claims to and executing projects that belonged to late Funke Adedoyin, a former lawmaker, who represented the constituency in the National Assembly.
While clearing the air on the issue, the lawmaker said it was the responsibility of any legislator after assuming office to identify uncompleted projects in his or her constituency and execute them fully.
Olawuyi said, “Statutory provisions provide that some projects are domiciled in your constituency; when you come to that office, it is incumbent on you to get the budget of that year and do the ones with important priority
“What some people do is to put heads together with the contractors to siphon the money meant for the projects.
“What I am doing is to make sure that these projects in the budget for 2018 are identified, awarded and executed.”
He added that claims that the sites for his ongoing project for the installation of the Solar Power Street Lights across the four local government councils that made up his constituency was identified by late Funke Adedoyin was a figment of the imagination of the opposition, who were bent on causing confusion among his supporters and associates.
Olawuyi described as laughable the insinuation by the opposition that someone who served in his capacity in 2011 could still attract constituency projects to the communities.
The lawmaker stated that any attempt by the opposition in the area to distract him from fulfilling his campaign promises would not be successful, adding that he was only responding to the fake news by those still pained by Kwara’s freedom from bondage and to set the records straight.
He said whoever had interest in knowing more about his submissions should go to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to find details of the 2018 budget and see if the projects sites were identified before now or not, or even if it had been awarded or not.
Olawuyi said the era when people cornered projects that belonged to his constituency for other parts of the state was over.
He added, “Their problem is that Tunji Olawuyi does not allow them to site projects in their hotel and homes again and that is the reasons they are cooking these lies up.
“The pledge I made was to use what belong to my constituency on my constituency, so, they should continue to wallow in pains as we better our communities through projects that have direct bearing on my people.”
The lawmaker also said there were other projects that had been awarded but had not been executed, adding that he would soon petition the appropriate agencies to enable him retrieve what belonged to his constituency.
