Plateau lawmakers resort to self-help over constituency allowance

Members of the Plateau State House of Assembly have not received any constituency allowance since the beginning of the APC-led administration in the state, Daily Trust reliably gathered.

Our correspondent gathered that some of the legislators were yet to make appreciable projects in their constituencies because they did not receive the allowance.

One of the members told Daily Trust that Plateau State had not been consistent in providing constituency allowances to legislators, adding that in the eight years administration of exGovernor Jonah David Jang, members only received five years constituency allowance while the remaining three years were never provided despite making provision for them in the budget.

The legislator, however, explained that a few of the members had made significant contributions to the constituencies from their personal resources.

“One of our colleagues, as you are aware, built three market squares for his people; gave out 29 motorcycles and 30 cars for empowerment, and also built a palace for his paramount ruler. Another one built health centres and renovated schools,” he said.

The member, who did not want to be mentioned, added: “When we came in, we found out that the legislators before us had not been paid their constituency allowances for 2015. In 2016, it was in the budget but we didn’t get it; it is also in the 2017 budget and we are yet to see whether we would get it,” he said.

Daily Trust could not reach Mr. Dan Manjan, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Simon Lalong as his phones could not be reached.