Reduction of NASS budget ‘ll save money for Nigeria — Rep Egoh

By Simon adewale Hon. Oghene Egoh is a member of the House of Representatives. In this interview, he speaks on the slashing of NASS members’ renumeration as a way of reducing cost of governance among other issues. Excerpts: As a non indigene elected in Lagos State, what are the needs of your constituency that you are taking to Abuja and what are you bringing back as dividends of democracy ? The needs of my constituency are numerous. But the most important is infrastructural decay. I have three major estates in my custody. Two are federal while one is state owned. I am talking mainly of Festac Town and Satellite Town owned by the Federal Government and Jakande estate for Lagos State. Infrastructures in these estates have not been renewed since they were built. The result is that roads are in dilapidated state. The drainages are not only blocked, they have collapsed. When there is rain the estates face serious flooding. The areas that are worst affected are the new areas developed after the three initial establishment of the estate over 30 years ago. No single road is tarred and infrastructures are non-existent. The recurrent expediture takes the largest chunk of our budget which is about 76 percent while capital is about 24 percent. It is said that 76 per cent of our budget is spent on recurrent expenditure. I don’t know how it got that bad but what I know is that we must correct the imbalance. It is clear that 24 per cent of the budget is clearly inadequate for capital projects. No nation can develop with this low rate of investment in infrastructure. We must reorganize our priorities to ensure that more money is directed to infrastructural development. No investor will come to invest in our economy if the state of infrastructure remains at this level. We need to invest to create employment. Is the suggested  slashing of the remuneration of members of the National Assembly and public officers, to reduce the cost of governance and bail the country out of economic distress, a welcomed development from your? I am not too familiar with the emolument of the National Assembly staff but I do know that the National Assembly budget has been slashed by about 30 per cent. And I do think it is good that way to cut national cost and make some savings. The process that bought you in as a representative is perceived to be free and fair, meaning that votes can count in Nigeria. What is your advice to those who want to follow your part and participate in politics? Just work hard and have an ambition, vision and be focused, don’t relent in your ambition. Join a political party and work hard with party members and the people. Don’t be discouraged, if you did not  win the first time, try the second time and just keep trying because God can decide to favour you and open doors for you so you can win just like I tried and I won the third time.