Obasanjo accuses lawmakers of “hunger for illegitimate money” and calls constituency projects “daylight robbery.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has renewed criticism of Nigerian lawmakers, describing them as “much worse” than those of past republics. In his new book, Nigeria Past and Future: Contemplations on Nigeria’s History and Vision For Tomorrow, Obasanjo accused legislators of distorting budgets through constituency projects, which he called “daylight unarmed robbery.”
“In their hunger for illegitimate money, the lawmakers devised what they called constituency projects,” he wrote. “Constituency projects by lawmakers at national or state levels are daylight unarmed robbery.”
He also alleged that the National Assembly weakened the EFCC bill to protect corrupt members. “Some of them said that if they passed the bill as I had sent it to them, most of them would go to jail after their term as lawmakers.”
Obasanjo further criticized lawmakers for granting themselves “obscene salaries” and using oversight visits to extort ministries, accusing them of worsening corruption in governance.