Back home in the various constituencies of senators, festivals and fiestas were held. Constituents got a fair share of the dividends of Nigeria’s version of democracy. Like everything else in Nigeria, these pasts are now behind us. As a Nigerian who wants the best for this country, may those years of locusts never return.
Barely two days to Christmas, no truck load of bags of rice. No cows, vegetable oil, goats or rams to share to anyone. TSA has crippled MDAs. As a concerned Nigeria, let me make an appeal. Remember the good old days and have pity on senators. They are human and bleeding silently. They can’t tell you because you won’t believe.
When next you see a senator, don’t ask for anything. Hug him or her and move on. Life is tough for them already. Don’t add salt to their injuries, please.
In other climes, lawmakers are elected primarily to offer three services: lawmaking, representation and oversight. Their functions stand on this tripod. In sane climes, senators don’t embark on road construction. They don’t sponsor weddings of constituents and friends. Senators don’t pay hospital bills of those they represent.
When they offer scholarships, it is not borne out of compulsion. They do that freely. Constituents don’t hang around their offices to get their own share of the national cake. Wives and children of senators in saner climes don’t spend taxpayers’ money to fly to other countries to spend week- ends.
But not so for Nigeria. Senators are overburdened with demands and responsibilities that should ordinarily not fall within their jurisdictions. Senators, out of pressure, cut corners to satisfy the avarice of some constituents and desperate family members.
If you desire a paradigm shift and expect our senators to be accountable, we must change the narrative. Let’s restrict their responsibilities to the three pillars of legislative business: lawmaking, oversight and representation. This is a tall demand and I doubt if Nigerians are ready to pursue this shift we so much desire.
The change we seek in Nigeria will not come if we don’t initiate deliberate moves. Things are tough and everyone is bleeding, including the rich. The stipends senators dole out to people may meet a particular need, but practices like that will not usher in the change we seek. This is my appeal.
Merry Christmas Nigerians!
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Let’s set the records straight
Last week, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu and its Leader, Ahmad Lawan, disagreed over the political party with the highest number of law- makers in the Red Chamber.
Lawan, while faulting the reports about the current configuration of the Senate in terms of numerical strength of the two dominant political parties, said he needed to set the records straight.
Senate Leader said: “The media reported that APC has 57 senators, while PDP has 58. For the record, APC senators are 56, while PDP senators are 46.
Countering Lawan, Ekweremadu explained that “as regards the party configuration, I want to say there is no any particular statistics for now. We cannot talk about the figures that each political party has because there is no such statistics. So, let it be on record that we have no such record now.”
Since our politicians lack the moral decency to stick to one political party, I urge the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, to do the needful and set the records straight. Although it is infinitesimal, Nigerians deserve to know which party holds the ace in the Red Chamber. Until that is done, no one should cry when journalists opt for any figure that suit them.
This is not rocket science. It is something any idiot can do. Oga Bukky, set the records straight and mandate those who should do the needful to come up with the current structure in the Senate.
