Sustainability of Constituency Projects: An Assessment of Amac/Bwari Federal Constituency (2011 – 2021)

Abstract

Constituency projects scheme is an integral part of democratic system existing both in advanced and emerging democracies. It is the view of many scholars that legislative operations should include constituency project identification. Federating states like the United States of America, India, Pakistan, Kenya and Nigeria have all adopted different nomenclatures for constituency projects. Studies has focused on merits, demerits, legality, constitutionality or otherwise of constituency projects. This study therefore focused on specific objectives such as: exploring whether constituency projects executed in AMAC/Bwari Fed. Constituency has sufficiently met developmental needs of the people, examine current state of commissioned projects, and find out if there exist recognizable synergy between constituents and elected representatives within the period 2011 – 2021. Descriptive research method was employed in this research relying on both secondary and primary data sources gathered through literature review, administered questionnaire and oral interviews. A sample size of 384 respondents was chosen using the k and M table of sample size determination eleven respondents per constituency project site visited, 35 project sites were selected by census method for this study. The research methodology study birthed answers to specific research questions set out around each specific objective in other to confirm the existence of gaps in the constituency projects scheme and how these gaps affected sustainability. Findings such as near absence of constituency consultation for the purpose of projects conceptualization, negative ownership structure in the operationazation of completed projects are evident. Also discovered are non-functionality of constituency offices, lack of basic training for constituents to be able to handle minor repairs, high incidences of projects that have stopped functioning, many projects operating at suboptimal level, while some others are in perfect state of operation. Actionable recommendations from this research includes; that the entire constituency project system in the House of Representative (HoR) be revisited with a view at redesigning the entire package in other to capture constituents’ interest as critical stake holders in constituency projects conceptualization, design and implementation. This research further recommends that such role for constituents be made legally binding using necessary statutory instruments governing the annual budgeting and approval processes in Nigeria House of Representatives.