A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Bassey Akiba, has urged Nigerians to stop rating legislators solely by the number of constituency projects they execute, warning that the practice undermines the core responsibility of the National Assembly, which is lawmaking.
Akiba, who represents Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency in Cross River State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made the call on Saturday night while interfacing with selected journalists in Calabar.
He said the growing public obsession with constituency projects has shifted attention away from the constitutional duties of lawmakers, stressing that citizens should instead demand quality legislation and effective governance from their elected representatives.
“Lawmaking remains our primary responsibility,” Akiba said. “While constituency projects help address local needs, excessive focus on them has become a distraction for many lawmakers.”
According to him, many Nigerians are unaware that legislators are not constitutionally mandated to execute projects, even though they often go to great lengths to attract such interventions to their constituencies.
“I am not saying it is wrong for people to ask for development projects,” he said. “But most Nigerians do not know that project execution is not the primary responsibility of a lawmaker. We struggle hard to attract these projects, and this often affects our main duty, which is making laws.”
Despite his reservations, Akiba said he had ensured that his constituency benefited from well-structured development initiatives and social intervention programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and delivering tangible dividends of democracy.
He explained that his approach prioritises verifiable, constituency-wide programmes in education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure and economic empowerment, rather than selective interventions for a few individuals.
“In agriculture, our outreach cuts across four value chains—cassava, oil palm, poultry and fisheries,” he said. “Farmers receive inputs such as hybrid cassava stems and poultry feeds to boost productivity.”
Akiba disclosed that a cooperative-based empowerment scheme had been established in every ward across Calabar Municipality and Odukpani Local Government Area, with thousands of residents enrolled. He added that the programme receives annual funding support.
“In the most recent cycle, ₦25 million was disbursed through the scheme to enable members access micro-support for agriculture and small-scale economic activities through the Bank of Agriculture,” he said.
In the education sector, the lawmaker said he launched a ₦50 million educational support programme in 2024, which was expanded to ₦100 million in 2025 to assist indigent students.
“Beneficiaries receive support for school fees, books and other learning materials, including school bags,” he noted.
Akiba also said his interventions in public safety and infrastructure had improved night-time visibility and enhanced security in previously dark areas across several communities in the constituency.
He reiterated that while constituency interventions are important, Nigerians should place greater emphasis on the quality of laws, oversight and representation delivered by their lawmakers, which he described as the true measure of legislative performance.
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