“Let the press know that the pressure from constituents is killing members of the National Assembly,” Representative Kalu said.
Benjamin Kalu a Federal House of Representatives member has accused Nigerians of sending their representatives to early graves with ceaseless demands.
Mr. Kalu (APC, Abia) made the shocking assertion when he addressed reporters after the house adjourned sitting to mourn Representative Ossy Prestige.
The late Prestige (APGA-Abia) passed away after a brief illness in Germany at the age of 56.
Mr. Kalu said that members of the National Assembly were under pressure from constituents for various needs, attributing that to the deteriorating health conditions of many lawmakers.
“These guys [Lawmakers] here are suffering, they are under stress, that is why most of the sickness they are passing through is heart attack and failure of organs due to stress for their constituents,” he declared.
“That is the truth and the truth must be told, whether you want to understand it or not, let the press know that the pressure from constituents is killing members of the National Assembly.
“Those who are not supposed to build roads are asked to build roads, those who are not supposed to build hospitals are asked to build hospitals and so most members are under great pressure and some who do not know how to explain to their constituents, carry this pressure with them.
“And the resources for them to meet this expectation of the public are not there; people do not want to hear this but I must tell you that members of the parliament are under pressure,” Mr. Kalu said.
The lawmaker claimed members use their private resources to take care of the needs of the constituents, stressing that must people assume the money comes from the federal government.
Mr. Kalu said that in spite of the pressure, lawmakers will continue to do their jobs as parliamentarians as it was national service.
He said that most Nigerians do not understand the role of parliamentarians, assuring that the lawmakers will continue to educate the people on their roles.
He said though the job of parliamentarians is not to build roads, hospitals and school, they will continue to push for the good of their constituents.