Opinion
By Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia
THERE is no gainsaying the place of knowledge and experience in the governance of men. Unfortunately, the bane of Nigeria and most countries of the Third World lies in the poor leadership recruitment process, unwillingness to choose the right options and the inability to utilize the right material for the right positions for the right places.
The notion inherent in the legislature confers on it the authority to make laws for the political entity such as the country or the State. In the parliamentary system, the parliament is the springboard for appointments into the cabinet of the State. In other words, one is expected to win election into the Parliament as the Honourable Member of the House, before he/she becomes appointed as the Prime Minister/ Premier; Minister/Commissioner, etc. This is the origin of the use of the fascinating title of Honourable Minister or the Honourable Commissioner that Nigeria has, true to type, turned upside down. In clear terms, the presidential system of government as practiced in Nigeria, does not provide for the use of “Honourable” in addressing commissioners or ministers at the state or at the federal level.
For the Lawmakers, the intricacies in law-making exposes the members to all the governance structures of the state and their expectations in the fulfilment of the roles assigned to them for the good of the society. A member of the Parliament possesses a profound knowledge of what government stands for. For instance, for one to become a member of the legislature, the person must have navigated through the intra-party intrigues, inter-party election, the stake holders and the masses. These are the vital critical structures of the society which are best understood only through close engagements with them. Furthermore, through the rigours and contours of lawmaking, budget legislation, oversight functions, checks on the executive, confirmation of commissioners or ministers, judges, etc the diverse fields in governance structures are exposed to the law-maker. Above all, the concept of parliamentary immunity whereby legislators can freely exercise their mandates in the House without arbitrary political persecution, inspires and engenders courage, dauntlessness and bravado in the law-maker. The vintage legislator speaks truth to power; and remains the voice of the voiceless, the oppressed, the down trodden and the deprived members of society.
The fearless law-maker, therefore derives political and spiritual strength from the grassroots and constituency impetus. These and more distinguish the law maker from several others who joined the government by the providential winds of change.
The architects of separation of powers among the three arms of the government, placed the Legislature first because, it is the bedrock of constitutional power and authority in any democratic government. The legislature is the highest expression of the collective sovereignty of the people. Legislature is the engine of democracy; and tyranny reigns in the absence of the legislature.
The separation of power icons such as Aristotle (384-322BC), Polybius, Marcus Cicero (106-43 BC), Marsilio of Padua (1275-1342), Jean Bodin (1529-1596), James Harrington (1611-1677), John Locke (1632-1704), Charles-Louis de Secondat de Montesquieu (1689-1755), among others envisaged the legislature as the body of trust in which the sovereignty of the state should reside.
It therefore redounds to the glory of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that an experienced governance reservoir will serve as the National Secretary of the Party in the person of The Rt. Hon SKE Udeokoye. In the same vein, the government of Enugu State stands to harvest from the resourcefulness of The Rt. Hon. Uche Anya as the Chairman of the Enugu Capital Development Authority (ECDA).
The Rt. Hon. SKE Udeokoye represented Awgu North Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly; and rose to the rank of the Leader of the House. He contested for a second term and won overwhelmingly. Udeokoye was elected the National Youth Leader of the PDP, a position he discharged most creditably. Udeokoye ennobled the offices he occupied with remarkable social skills, exceptional diligence, elegance, sagacity and panache. He demonstrated an extraordinary acumen in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles and came out unblemished.
The Rt. Hon. Uche Anya represented Oji River Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Anya was elected the Minority Leader in a PDP dominated House of Assembly; a position that goes with intricacies, intimidations, political ambush and legislative conspiracies. In all these, Uche Anya remained unruffled, stronger with his head unbowed. Anya will surely inject life, esthetics, tourist attractions and values in the ECDA.
It is hoped that the skills they acquired in the Legislature will find full expression in the efficient service delivery both at the state and at the national levels.
On behalf of The Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, I wish the Rt. Hon. S.K.E. Udeokoye and Rt. Hon Uche Anya many more exploits in their assignments.
***Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, the Chairman, Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly
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October 31, 2023 @ 20:45 GMT|.
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