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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched an attack on federal lawmakers accusing them of using constituency projects and budget manipulation as vehicles for self-enrichment and extortion.
In his newly released book, ‘Nigeria Past and Future: Contemplations on Nigeria’s History and Vision for Tomorrow,’ Obasanjo described the controversial projects as “daylight unarmed robbery,” insisting that those behind the practice “must be treated as criminals.”
The former leader, who ruled Nigeria as both a military head of state and a democratically elected president, alleged that legislators routinely distort budgets, fix their own salaries and allowances “against the Constitution,” and water down anti-corruption laws to protect their interests.
“Lawmakers of the Fourth Republic are much worse than their predecessors,” Obasanjo wrote. “They run oversight committees as extortion rackets.”
He cited how the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) bill was deliberately delayed for 18 months because legislators feared its provisions would expose them after leaving office. “Some of them said that if they passed the bill as I had sent it, most of them would go to jail,” he recalled, adding that the law was eventually passed “in a diluted form.”
Obasanjo also blamed lawmakers for weakening the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act, alleging that some oil-producing states bribed them to avoid contributing to the Commission’s funding, leaving the burden on the federal government and oil companies.
Beyond legislative sabotage, he accused the National Assembly of turning budgets into cash machines. “In their hunger for illegitimate money, the lawmakers devised what they called constituency projects… invariably, once such misconduct is allowed, the budget goes into deficit,” he said.
He further alleged that oversight visits were often little more than “cash collection tours.” “They visit the projects of ministries and parastatals purely to collect money from them. It is shockingly bad,” he declared.
According to Obasanjo, Nigeria’s lawmakers are “among the highest paid in the developing world, and in some cases earning more than colleagues in advanced democracies,” a reality he says has undermined governance and development.
“When I was president, I refused to release funds I found unacceptable. On occasions, I was threatened with impeachment, which did not move me,” he added.
Obasanjo’s explosive claims have reignited debate over whether constituency projects now firmly embedded in Nigeria’s annual budgets serve genuine development needs or remain, as he insists, a conduit for corruption and waste.
Interestingly, this is the one first time the former President will be referring to the National Assembly lawmakers will accuse them of corruption.