Lawmakers under fire over N1.2bn United States’ trip

[Mirror]

Discontent raged yesterday in Delta State over the ongoing leadership training by the state's lawmakers in the United States.

Stakeholders in the state were enraged by the cost of the training, which reliable unofficial sources put at N1.2 billion.

Although, National Mirror could not officially confirm the cost of the training, which is expected to last for about three weeks, the exercise and its cost implication for tax payers are generating ripples in the state.

National Mirror gathered that 40 people were led to the United States by the Speaker of the House and governorship aspirant on the platform of the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2015 election, Mr. Victor Ochei.

Those in the entourage of Ochei for the leadership training at Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, San Francisco, USA, include the pioneer Speaker of the Assembly and Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Matters, Chief Emmanuel Okoro and some top civil servants as well as aides of some principal officers of the House.

The team is expected to return to the country this week. Some stakeholders have challenged the leadership of the House to make the expenditure for the trip public.

Already, the main opposition party in the state, Democratic Peoples Party, DPP, has described the training tour as "an embarrassing trend."

DPP's Chairman in the state, Chief Tony Ezeagwu, in an interview with National Mirror, said the training session had no bearing with the development challenges in the state.

Ezeagwu blamed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for approving funds for the trip.

"I don't know what they want to achieve by that trip to United States. Have they gone there to learn how to give us water and electricity and other basic amenities? This is uncalled for and it is a colossal waste of tax payers' money.

"The governor is part of the conspiracy against Deltans because the Assembly is not independent and lawmakers could not have generated the resources for the trip. The governor is part of it, because he released the money for that sad trip," DPP leader added.

A rights group, Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHRD, has also described the training programme as "a waste of resources," adding that the action showed that the Assembly had lost its bearing.

National Mirror

[Folami David]

Trips to those kind of places are very much great and expensive so I'm not surprised. People always want to visit those places...