NigeriaWorld » Nigeria News » Nigerian Politics » Stop asking me for money to organise burial, Nigerian lawmaker tells constituents

Stop asking me for money to organise burial, Nigerian lawmaker tells constituents

Posted by Timige, On 29 Oct, 2023 | Updated On 29 Oct, 2023 No Comments »

A House of Representatives member from Akwa Ibom State, Clement Jimbo, has said that henceforth, he would no longer give out money to his constituents who seek financial help to organise burial ceremonies.

Mr Jimbo who represents Abak/Etim Ekpo/ Ika Federal Constituency announced this in a post on his Facebook page on Monday.

“All financial solicitation for burial is hereby suspended till further notice. Please bear with me,” the lawmaker wrote.

‘Why I took the decision’

When contacted on Saturday, Mr Jimbo told PREMIUM TIMES that he took the decision because he did not want to be “distracted by the thousands of financial solicitations for burial purposes” from his constituents.

“It is unhealthy and it should be discouraged at every level,” he said of the financial solicitations.

The lawmaker suggested that people ought not to spend a lot of money to organise burial ceremonies for their loved ones, citing the case of Jesus Christ, whom he said died and was buried “without his disciples asking for financial support”.

He said resources, instead of being “wasted” on burials, should be channelled into developmental projects.

“If God has blessed you with the resources to do what you want, go ahead, but not when you do not have (the resources). We should learn to cut our cloth according to the piece of cloth we have.”

Mr Jimbo said he could support events such as wedding and naming ceremonies, which are “joyful and add value”, if the finances are available.

“But for burial, I don’t know about others, that is no longer a priority on my scale of preference,” he stated.

Akwa Ibom State has the highest number of people in south-south Nigeria living in multidimensional poverty, according to the 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index Report of the National Bureau of Statistics.

But residents of the state, like other states in Southern Nigeria, often desire to organise flamboyant burial ceremonies for departed relatives or friends.

Not worried

Mr Jimbo said although he had been widely criticised for his decision to stop financial support for burial ceremonies, he was not worried that it could affect his re-election in 2027.

“I’m not worried at all. Leaders are made to make tough decisions that develop a society that needs a paradigm shift.

“It may not all go down well with so many, but it is a decision a leader must take,” he said.

The lawmaker said he has been offering scholarships to his constituents, upgrading infrastructures, construction of roads, equipping hospitals, and other basic amenities, explaining that such projects were his priorities.

“These are the things I stand for. These are (my ways of giving) effective representation I equally preach, those are responsible leadership I preached throughout my campaign period,” Mr Jimbo said.

He called for sensitisation of residents of Akwa State who believe that politicians have unfettered access to public money and should distribute the same at will.

“When you are in government, you don’t sit on money, especially if you are a legislator like me. We don’t award contracts, we simply oversight the executive. We monitor what they do in line with what is approved for them. So we don’t carry bags of money and distribute it to anyone that wants it. Nobody does it,” he stressed.

He expressed surprise that he received a barrage of financial solicitations from constituents even when he has only spent about six months at the Green Chamber.

“Expecting so much from us, the legislators, at this point is counterproductive and the expectations should be moderated,” he said.

Outrage

The statement by Mr Jimbo elicited several reactions from many Facebook users, apparently from Akwa Ibom, who asked him to take down the post.

Aniekeme Finbarr, who was a special assistant on new media to former governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, said the lawmaker’s approach would be “counterproductive.”

“The economy is biting on the people and they look forward to people like you for help. Don’t shut them out. Do your best always and most times, in politics, when you give, let the left (hand) know what the right (hand) is doing,” Mr Finbarr said.

“This is not necessary here, Sir. You’re not in your private business but elected to represent them in the Federal House of Representatives. So, do what you can and leave the rest to God,” a Facebook user, Michael Essien, told the lawmaker.

Leo Umana, who had served in a government department to help push up internally generated revenue under the previous administration in Akwa Ibom, also commented on the post. He backed Mr Jimbo for speaking out in the face of pressure from constituents.

“People may not understand the pressure, demands and the sense of entitlement.