The House of Representatives has dismissed reports alleging a looming confrontation with the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, over delays in constituency project funding, describing the claims as “misleading, exaggerated, and taken out of context.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi Jr., faulted a media report (not by The PUNCH), which suggested that discontent over unpaid constituency projects could spark a showdown against the Speaker.
Rotimi said the report relied on “isolated remarks and informal exchanges” from House WhatsApp groups, misrepresenting them as the official stance of lawmakers. He stressed that despite political, ethnic, and religious diversity, the 10th Assembly remained united under Tajudeen’s leadership.
Acknowledging that contractors had experienced delayed payments, Rotimi clarified that the problem was not peculiar to lawmakers’ constituency projects but part of wider fiscal challenges affecting the federation.
“Delayed contractor payments are a national issue,” the statement read. “For weeks, the House leadership, through its Appropriations Committees, has been engaging the Honourable Minister of Finance. Payments have now commenced, and the leadership remains committed to ensuring all outstanding 2024 obligations are settled promptly.”
Rotimi noted that lawmakers were under pressure from constituents expecting delivery of nominated projects but urged that these concerns not be misconstrued.
“While constituents’ agitations are valid, they must be understood within prevailing fiscal realities and not misrepresented,” he said.
On allegations surrounding recruitment into the National Assembly bureaucracy, Rotimi distanced the House leadership from the process, insisting it was handled exclusively by the National Assembly Service Commission in line with federal character, inclusiveness, and merit principles.
He disclosed that the Speaker had directed the House Committee on Public Service Matters to investigate the recruitment exercise to ensure transparency and fairness.
The House further rejected suggestions that constituency projects or development initiatives were being skewed in favour of certain regions.
“Claims that development is unfairly concentrated in one region are false, divisive, and unhelpful. The House remains guided by equity, justice, and fairness,” the statement stressed.
Reiterating its commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability, the House urged members and the public to disregard insinuations of internal discord.
