Abia legislative milestone and the rivers to cross

BY EDDIE ONUZURUIKE

The legislature as an aspect of governance makes democracy possible and practicable. It comes handy in checking the excesses of autocratic leaders. The present legislature in Nigeria which is bicameral with the Senate and House of Representatives is a gift we owe foremost political thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Hobbes through his Leviathan and Baron Montesquieu, the Frenchman whose theory in England gave us a glimpse of the theory of separation of powers.
Instructively, whenever the soldiers or other usurpers seize power, they arrogate legislative powers to themselves and dictate the tune for all to dance whether it is sonorous or dirge-like. A police state is instantly instituted where all should fall into line no matter how civilized or informed. In truth, there is always the need for a vibrant legislature if there should be good governance.
The AbiaState legislature has come a long way, through thick and thin. On our side as observers we can score and criticize. By so doing, we can register our observations in facts and figures (data) that could help us evaluate the legislative achievements so far.

 
The diarchy of Ibrahim BadamosiBabangida known as IBB in early 1990s was highly experimental. It is possible that he borrowed a leaf from the treatise of Dr. NnamdiAzikiwe, Zik of Africa who in response to an interview on how to work out a trouble-free system to ease out military from power. Zik affirmed that diarchy could be one of the ways since it may create a serious problem to shove them off completely.
Late Sam Mbakwe deferred a little during the Abacha era when he said that the military people claim that as Nigerians that they are protected by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to vote and solicit for votes. He argued that the military is qualified to run for election, but they should either resign or retire as to be qualified to contest.
Recent political events in Nigeria have proved Mbakwe to be right. Obasanjo has presided over Nigeria as a civilian after a beautiful career as a soldier that culminated in being the military head of state. It is on record that Obasanjowent down into history as the first African military that handed power back to civilians peacefully. David Mark has presided over the Senate like a colossus for eight years. Senator Ike Nwachukwu was in the Senate too, MurtalaNyako, Jonah Jang were ex-military who got the peoples mandate as Governors, and so many other Senators.

 
Back home here, Abia, enjoyed a 22 month stint of legislature in Babangida’s diarchy as captured above. Dr. OgbonnayaOnu became the first democratically elected Governor and worked with Chief AruaArunsi as the Speaker. His tenure was less troublesome with his co-pioneers when ObinnaEkekwe, Hon P.C. Mba, Chief Rocks Emma Ukwu, and many others including a slain legislator whose spouse was compassionately elected to fill the void. Hon. Ekekwe, elected on the platform of SDP, was a little fly in Onu’s ointment which did not take long for a political rapprochement.
Next wasChief Orji UzorKalu as governor in 1999. His era and the legislators initially led by the late Nkem Ike could rightly be adjudged to be the most turbulent in Abia legislative history as the ethos and sensibilities of Abia was rattled with quick succession of speakers, as it slipped from Ike to Enweremadu and then settled for Stanley Ohajuruka who due to the deft handling, negotiations and assurance of Chief T. A. Orji, then Chief of Staff was able to smoothen some executive excesses of undue impunity an imposition. There and then, sponsored impeachments that blighted the Kalu era, became a story of the past.

 
The next in line was Agwu U. Agwu in 2007 and he had a smooth relationship with the Governor and his mates who refused to unduly interlope in executive operation and vice versa.
UdeOkoChukwu’s entry in 2011 enjoyed same to the extent that no one would ever believe what happened in Abia if we recall that the Enweremadu tenure was once sacked and took refuge in Abuja. Due to a fortuitous circumstance of Ude being elected Deputy Governor recently, Okere, the substitute speaker, has gone into history as the shortest legislative cordial experience in Abia. He came for a specific duty of filling a gap and topping his CV as a former deputy speaker and he modestly did just that.

 
Today June 11, 2015 will mark a new era that is going to be significant in many ways. The Abia House will elect a new leader. For the first time in many years and legislative practice, the Abia Assembly will have legislators from the two vibrant parties almost on equal numbers with a slight edge by PDP. Recent events especially the one that happened a few days ago at the federal level with Senator BukaolaSaraki coming to lead the Senate is instructive and doesn’t leave anybody resting on his oars. In all we expect good legislation and synergy from our elected people.
They should see themselves as messengers of the people realizing that the messenger cannot be more important than the message and the sender. There shouldn’t be confrontation and calumny, rather consultation, consensus and selfless representation. The state and Governor OkezieIkpeazu need help with laws that will lead to development and unfettered life of the people. Ohafia, Umunneochi, ArochukwuIsuikwuato could rise to be the agric capitals of Abia.

 
Education, health, environment, taxation should be focal points. For instance, a place like Aba needs laws to cut the excesses of people and give serious direction to the executive. Houses built on green areas and drainages need supportive laws to be properly addressed. Kidnapping and other forms of crime were stemmed by previous laws from Abia Assembly that banned use of commercial motorcycles, put kidnapping on death sentence and a good many interventionist agencies like the ASOPADEC and ABROMA bills that resulted in the efficient and active ASOPADEC commission, and swift ABROMA whose powerful and active deliveries are evident.
In general, Abia legislators should rise above self and defend the citizens and indigenes rights, reaching out to constituency and constituents, be part of negotiations in trade, labour assuaging the needs of our people. There are some emergent cases of cattle menace devastating our farms, drug addiction and peddling. There are established instruments enshrined in the constitution like probes and public hearings. Our legislators should invoke these on questionable murders, extrajudicial killings, payments of salaries, welfare of public and civil servants, diversion of public funds and the quality of jobs executed by contractors.

 
Some communities especially in border towns are discriminated against and gravely persecuted. In some communities, women are still held down by taboos and obnoxious laws; these could be repealed by acts of parliament.
The same efficiency is expected of our federal legislators who were inaugurated on June 9, 2015. The state of Ndigbo is a large source for worry. We expect them to legislate and interact with others to let us cohabit honourably in the Nigerian polity. Our roads in the South East are in terrible state. Federal presence in education, housing, youth restiveness, unemployment, skill acquisition, federal revenues and remuneration, care for the retired and unemployed should top their agenda. Nigeria and Abia is for all of us.
We say welcome to the 6thAbia Assembly and congratulations to the new Speaker and colleagues.