A civic organisation, the Monitoring Initiative for Transparency in Governance (MonITNG), has criticised what it described as the politicisation of constituency projects in Edo North Senatorial District, accusing Senator Adams Oshiomhole and the Minister for Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, of converting public resources into tools of political reward.
In a statement issued on Saturday, MonITNG said the “so-called dividends of democracy” in Edo North had been reduced to handouts and patronage under the guise of a “Grassroots Empowerment Programme.”
According to the group, Oshiomhole and Momoh recently distributed ₦100,000 cash gifts and other empowerment items to All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists across the six local government areas in the senatorial district.
“The so-called dividends of democracy in Edo North have once again been reduced to handouts and patronage,” the statement read.
“Senator Adams Oshiomhole, with the support of the Honourable Minister for Regional Development, Momoh, has launched a ‘Grassroots Empowerment Programme’ where cash gifts of ₦100,000 and empowerment items were distributed to party loyalists across the six LGAs.”
MonITNG described the initiative as a misplacement of priorities, lamenting that while public funds are spent on cash giveaways, the region continues to grapple with abandoned roads, dilapidated schools, and failing healthcare facilities.
“At a time when Edo North is plagued with abandoned roads, collapsing schools and hospitals, and communities crying for clean water and electricity, funds meant for constituency projects are being converted into political largesse for a select few,” the group stated.
The organisation also questioned the exclusion of ordinary citizens from the programme’s benefits.
“What happens to the thousands of ordinary citizens who are not party members but desperately need public infrastructure and social services?” it asked.
MonITNG maintained that constituency funds are public resources and not personal or partisan assets.
“They are not personal estates of politicians, nor are they meant to oil the machinery of partisan loyalty. These funds should deliver lasting impact — renovating schools, fixing roads, strengthening healthcare, and providing sustainable skills for youths and women.”
Condemning what it termed “a cycle of tokenism and cash giveaways,” the group said such short-term gestures only entrench poverty and underdevelopment.
“Democracy should not be reduced to cash-in-hand empowerment for a few party faithfuls. True dividends of democracy mean equitable development, transparency in public spending, and projects that improve the living standards of everyone, not just those wearing party colours.”
The statement concluded with a call for accountability and civic vigilance, urging residents of Edo North to demand transparency on constituency allocations.
“The people of Edo North — and Nigerians everywhere — must begin to ask tougher questions: Where are the constituency projects? Where is accountability for the billions allocated annually?
Edo North deserves better. True empowerment is not ₦100,000 in the hands of a few; it is a future built on schools, roads, healthcare, and opportunities that benefit all.”
MonITNG tagged its post to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on X (formerly Twitter), calling for an investigation into the alleged misuse of public resources.
