"We cannot take money from education
and health to build roads.it is only human beings that can use roads."
and health to build roads.it is only human beings that can use roads."The above statement sums up the frustration of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba(PDP,Cross river central)when the majority of his colleagues last week removed N6.2billion from the budget meant for education and health for Abuja residents to fund the N25billion expansion on two major roads in the country's capital.
Led by the controversy-friendly Senator Iyiola Omisore,Chairman senate commitee on appropriation,he unashamedly said the cuts were done because the funds meant for education and health could not be exhausted this year.He went further to say,funds for these two key sectors could be sourced later through a supplementery budget,if need be.This same Senator is reportedly oiling his political machinery for his governorship ambition in osun state.
It is a pity that nigerians are 'represented' in the national assembly by mostly insensitive,uninformed and self-serving individuals who are only interested in their own welfare.This writer can not but wonder if the senators actually think expanding a road is more important than the already moribund education sector and the mere 'consulting clinics' called hospitals in Abuja.
Although,some senators protested against the move,majority still approved of it.Any keen observer of the polity would not be surprised because most of the senator's children school in america and europe and they fly to these countries even when they have a slight headache.
Finally,let me end this piece with the words of the seasoned Thisday Newspaper columnist,Simon Kolawole,"Yes we may end up building those ten lanes,but we still have a long way to go"
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