By Tongnaan Dada Bawa,Jos

Senator Gyang Dantong, representing Plateau Northern senatorial district in the Senate has described the 40 years of military regime in Nigeria as a period of backwardness saying, the eight years of democratic governance in the country were more fruitful.

The lawmaker while speaking to our correspondent in Jos, the Plateau State capital said, the nation's democracy was fast growing adding, that if democracy in the Nigeria was stable for another eight years, all the problems of inadequate electricity, water and food, as well as poor roads network among others would be addressed.

He debunked the rumour making the round that each Senator would be given the sum of N500m as constituency allowance saying, they were asked to identify projects of priority in their respective constituencies while the executive arm of government would execute the projects on their behalf.

According to him, "non of the Senators will collect one kobo from the presidency in the name of constituency allowance," describing the rumour as a product of some mischief makers who were bent on rubbishing the reputation of the Senators.

He however, urged Nigerians not to expect much from the legislators in the area of projects execution, saying their primary role was lawmaking.

Senator Dantong who is also the vice chairman, senate committee on health said he felt fulfilled when he recently presented a health bill on the floor of the Senate. While giving an insight into the bill, he said, the bill prescribed certain punishment for health workers who misbehave in various hospitals, among other things.

He said if the bill was successfully passed into law, Nigerians would not be allowed to go abroad for medical treatment unless with the approval of the minister of health.

While commenting on the on-going constituency delineation in the state, he said, his constituency contributed over 50% of the total population of the state and as such it deserved four additional federal constituencies and more state house of assembly seats, "since democracy is a game of numbers".