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National
Assembly, Not Den of Thieves
By
Tunde Ali
Nigeria National Assembly is the highest law making
body in the country . It consists of the House of Senate
(Upper House) and the House of Representatives (Lower
House). The former is made up of One Hundred and Nine
(109) Senators while the latter consists of Three Hundred
and Sixty (360) Honorables members. They are elected
from the nooks and crannies of the geo-political zone
called Nigeria. The constitution vested in it the power
to make laws for peace, order and good government of
the Federation. This responsibility is not unusual in
a democratic country that uphold the rule of law and
practices separation of power.
Nigeria, being a member of world democratic nations is
not different in her democratic structures, what is amazing
is the composition of the gegislative body. Individuals
from diverse socio-economic, political-philosophy, religion
affiliations and intellectual backgrounds are elected
to legislate for the nation. This situation creates a
complex condition that requires the coordination of only
a pragmatically astute resource manager and insightful
leadership; which quite frankly has eluded the past and
present legislative Assembly.
The Presidents of the Senate right from the era of
Dr. Joseph Wayas in the Second Republic (1979-1983)
to the
incumbent David Mark has demonstrated gross incompetence
and poor understanding of the roles of the third highest
office in the nation. What they did most of the time
was to sit over different deliberations or presumptive
legislations that in most cases never saw the light
of the day. This was because of improper coordination,
and
inability to foster consensus across the aisle. This
dis ingenuity had cost the nation the enactment of
good laws that could have moved the nation forward
and forthright
the country’s democratic culture.
Political party or leadership without guiding philosophy
or ideology is like a pilot without navigator. Any
flight attempt will inevitably result in calamity and
peril.
Leadership in the National Assembly most especially
from the Second Republic apart from been deficient
in political
ideology, was devoid of honest, competent, principled
and visionary leadership. To date, there has been eleven
Senate Presidents with nothing to show for their tenure
in office.
Nnamdi Azikwe, 1960-1960 NCNC
Nwafor Orizu, 1960-1966 NCNC
Joseph Wayas, 1979-1983 NPN
Iyorchia Ayu, 1992-1993 SDP
Ameh Ebute, 1993- 1993 SDP
Evan Enwerem, 1999-1999 SDP
Chuba Okadigbo, 1999- 2000 PDP
Pius Anyim, 2000-2003 PDP
Adolphus Wabara, 2003-2005 PDP
Ken Nnamani 2005-2007 PDP
David Mark 2007-date PDP Despite the enormous
political power wield by the office of the
Senate President,
the past occupants of the office, most of whom
came from
the South Eastern part of the country, which has been
described as “underdeveloped”, ”abandoned”, ”oppressed”,
or “wretched”, etc refused to use the influence
of their office to bring development to their political
zone and community. Most of them got wrapped-up in
the luxury of office and resorted to indescribable
opulence.
They engaged in despicable corrupt practices that culminated
in incessant impeachment. For instance, Dr Joseph Wayas
abused the office of the Senate President with impunity
during the Second Republic under Alhaj Shehu Shagari.
The idea of spending a night in Lagos, and eating breakfast
in London in the following morning emanated from his
office. Rather than concentrating on the business of
legislation, he was busy romanticizing with different
women of little virtue! He paid the price when the
junta boys led by Buhari/Idiagbon overthrew the pervasive
regime.
* Senate President Evan Enwerem was impeached in
November 18, 1999 for falsification of names
and credentials.
* Senate President Chuba Okadigbo was impeached in
August 8, 2000 for corruption and lousy wastage of
public funds.
* Senate President Adolphus Wabara was impeached
on April 13, 2005 for corrupt practice. He was alleged
to have
sought and received bribe from the Education Minister.
The other senate presidents whose names are not mentioned
here are not left out in this show of shame; they
all have stains on their sleeves. David Mark, the
incumbent
Senate President has not been openly accused of
any corruption or wrong doing so far (in this
office);
but time will
tell if he will pioneer a new identity for the
enviable office or en capsuled in the tradition
of his “forefathers”.
With incessant allegations of corruption levied
against members of the National assembly albeit
some past
Senate presidents, it shows that the so called
elected representatives
of the people, with the exception of very few,
has exhibited flagrant dereliction of vested responsibilities.
They
have with their greed and insatiable desire for
wealth,
unconsciously or subconsciously confirmed that
their interest is neither to serve the electorates
nor
to sustain the credible institution of democracy.
Some of them are 'stained' and unworthy prelate.
They are morally deficient and unfit to seat in
the congregations
of the nobles. They pretended to be the friends
of the masses and the liberating agents for their
oppression.
They spoke fanciful words to secure the trust and
votes of their victims (electorates), but eventually
deflated
the trust and confidence reposed in them. Rather
than serving the interest of the electorates, they
opt to
corruptly enrich themselves at the detriment of
the masses
and mortgaged the destiny of generations yet unborn
by compromising the sanctity of the oath of their
mandate. Otherwise; How could one explain the behavior
of the
members of Senate Committee on Gas, Environment,
Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream) and
Finance who
were
invited and attended a retreat organized by the
Oil Companies in Ghana (without official clearance),
and received estacode
with the agreement to negatively influence or “kill” the
Petroleum Bill which seeks to deregulate the oil
sector?
What interpretation could one give to the act of
Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane (Chairman, Senate
Committee
on Power) who was indicted for his role in 6 Billion
Naira
fraud with Rural Electrification Agency (REA)?
OR
How can one rationalize the endless arrest of the
members of the National Assembly by the EFCC, for
corruption
and fraudulent practices? Or even comprehend Elumelu’s
threat upon arrest to unveil the names of other
collaborators in the Presidency with whom the schemes
of 6 Billion
Naira fraud was planned.
President
Yar’Adua in a letter sent to the Senate
President – David Mark reiterated his disappointment
about the quality and quantity of the work done
by the Senate from 1999 to date. The President
revealed that
only four laws were passed by the Senate in 2008.
Funny enough, three of the laws were on Budget,
while the forth
was on the salaries of past Presidents, Vice
Presidents and other Public Office holders. This
information is
a shameful revelation of the wastages and lackadaisical
attitude with which the business of the government
is been handled in the National Assembly. These
Senators
make haste in legislating and passing laws that
fatten and guarantee their salaries and allowances,
but drags
their feet and sometimes becomes passive on other
laws that does not address their immediate concerns
and needs.
This passivity makes one to question the readiness
and the seriousness of the legislators to perform
the functions
for which they were elected.
The
National Assembly is a third of the pinnacle tower
in the Republic. It is therefore expected
to be peopled
by elected representatives of the people who
have demonstrated high degree of responsibilities,
nationalism,
and dependability.
Credible individuals with unassailable virtues.
Knowledgeable individuals of substance and
worth who can stand
shoulder to shoulder with their counter parts
anywhere in the
world in terms of intelligence, wit and wisdom.
Their integrity must be tested and vouched.
Member of the
National Assembly should not have been convicted
of any criminal
wrong doing or allowed to contest election
from the prison, (talk less of winning as an
inmate).
Our
law makers should
be bold yet humbled, they should be able to
articulate their convictions without fear, favor,
or prejudice
but tolerate opposing views with civility.
The absence of
the aforementioned will necessarily impede
the process of law making and create a milieu
for
counter intuitive
dispensations!
The
in decorum that characterize the National Assembly
should be addressed with alacrity.
Those bad eggs
should be sort, separated and booted out
of the gallery of
the honorables. Theirs is part of the image
problem that
the nation is crippled with. A spade should
be addressed as same, and not agricultural
stone.
After all it
was one person that was blind in a country,
before it was
a.k.a “the blind country”. The gravity of
inaction or insincerity of purpose will maul the credibility
of the nation’s National Assembly and
reduce it to the den of thieves.
The
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and
Media, Senator Ayogu should therefore
review the circumstances
and limitations that encumbered the optimum
performances of the Senate rather than
being rantly defensive.
He was reported in This Day newspaper of
May 13, 2009
while briefing Senate Correspondents at
the end of Plenary,
that “Nigerians should be concerned about the quality
and not the quantum of the bills passed by the Upper
House.” This is not Plausible ! Nigeria
deserves quality as well as quantity, after
all, time spent legislating
are reimbursed by the tax payers; and they
deserves the best. Qualitative bills in
their reasonable quantities
will be part of the parameters to measure
the performances of the National Assembly.
And if the Assembly that is
made up of 109 members (Senators) can only
come out with four bills in one whole year
(2008), how could that justify
the colossal amount of money invested (not
to talk of stolen) in the body by the tax
p! ayers? how could its
productivity be determined ? or its efficiency
and effectiveness be measured ?
Senator
Ayogu Eze informed that; there are 60 pending bills,
33 of which was
sponsored by the
Executive
arm of government, and no fewer than
20 sponsored
by legislators.
What the Senator did not say is whether
any of those pending bills ever go through
preliminary
readings
or tabled for hearing at the floor of
the house. The statistics
provided by the Senator indicated a role
reversal. Though any arm of the government
can initiate
a bill, but in
this situation, significant numbers of
bills emanated from the executive arm,
yet the
legislature who
barely came up with a third was still
unable to pass any
into law. This makes the subject of competence
to be relevant.
It is a known fact that some members
of the National
Assembly falsified their credentials,
some have School Certificate / GCE while some “grandfathered” themselves
into such minimum qualifications. The
presumed consequence of this is that quality
time are wasted in explaining
the wordings rather than content! s of
bills and the process of legislation to law makers
who could barely
speak or understand English Language.
This I believe is inevitably slowing down the
law making process.
Another thing that Senator Ayogu Eze
did not say or possibly ashamed to say
is that
legislators
who are
voted to make
good laws for the nation are themselves
epitome of fraud and corruption. By this
token their
conscience
is dead
and judgment impaired. Inherent corruption
and deficit
in honesty made it impossible for them
to legislate against similar vice. It
is disturbing
to note
that over 60 percent
of corruption and in decorum behavior
that permeates our body politics is directly
linked or traced
to the legislative members who are presumably “honorable”.
Ironically, this are the same people
that has been saddled with the responsibilities
of making good laws to promoting
good governance and peaceful society
where honesty is applauded and mischief
is reprimanded.
Time is money, it is therefore expected
to be spend wisely and judiciously. The
elected
representatives
at the National
Assembly should be reminded that their
membership of this body is at a cost
to the tax payers,
therefore
any act of passivity or docility is intolerable.
Laws
that
will regulate and improve the quality
of life of the citizens must be put in
place.
Sectors
such
as Health,
Education, Housing, Energy, Transportation,
Aviation, Agriculture, Commerce & Industries, Science & Technology,
Banking & Finance, Stock Market,
etc must attract legislations for transformation.
Senate President should stand tall and
call his house to order. Accurate record
of Senators
activities
in the National Assembly should be
documented and made
accessible
to the public through a web site. This
effort will afford the public the opportunity
to
know those
legislators
who are actually fulfilling their legislative
duties as opposed to those sit tight;
do nothing; bench
warmer; I con cored party statistics.
The
legislators who are indicted by the court of law or
the House Committee
on
Ethics and
Public Petition for corruption or
any illegal activities
must be “evicted” from
the Legislative body and outlawed
from future politicking.The integrity
of the National Assembly must not
be compromised.
This will send warning signal to
other legislators who are mischievous
or at least vulnerable. Law making
responsibility
is a privilege, and does not positioned
any legislator above the law. With
this information at-hand, each community,
district or state will be able to
monitor the performances
of their elected legislator and determine
their re-electability.
Tunde
Ali is a Social Worker,and writes from Chicago Illinois
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