In the face of the current economic reality and the attendant hardship on the masses, what has been the role of the 10th Senate under the leadership of Senator Godswill Akpabio in bringing succour to the people? Is the Senate aloof and unconcerned about the plight of their constituents while the Senators luxuriate in their expensive SUVs and enjoy the perks of their office while having a cozy relationship with the executive as some people think?
The President of the Senate, Senator Akpabio has not missed any opportunity in telling the people that the 10th Assembly will work in the interest of the people. “Every decision we make is aimed at improving your standard of living,” “your dreams, your aspirations and your wellbeing will be at the heart of everything we do in this Senate,” Akpabio often says. Indeed a recent report by parliamentary watchdog, Legislative Alliance, confirmed that the 10th Assembly has led the way in passing “impactful legislation.”
The present economic challenges facing the country have imposed a duty of care for the weak and most vulnerable by those wielding the levers of power. In this regard, Senators in the 10th Assembly have severally distributed grains worth over N200 million in their Senatorial districts. And just recently, as part of efforts to address the food crisis in the country, lawmakers led in the distribution of truckload of fertilizers to farmers following a motion on the floor of the Senate.
It must be noted that since the advent of the present democratic dispensation in 1999, the present Senate is the most diverse in terms of composition, drawing members from at least seven different political parties. This diversity of membership has brought about positive vibrancy during debates and law-making processes. The 10th Senate has largely developed a consensus building mechanism, making it possible for the Senators, even from their disparate backgrounds, to reach agreement on the most contentious issues.
Consensus building has translated into the passage of many bills without rancour and opposition, especially bills that seek to promote the dreams, aspirations and wellbeing of the Nigerian people. When the National Assembly passed the bill to change from the old National Anthem there was an understandable hullabaloo about the speed with which it was considered. In the social media, many asked, “how will that change the price of rice” “how will it put food on the table of Nigerians,” etc. But it was the same National Assembly with even more haste, passed the new minimum wage bill which increased the salary of the least Nigerian workers by over 100 percent.
It is to the credit of the National Assembly that the law contained far-reaching measures, including the three yearly reviews, as well as the retention of the Minimum Wage in the Exclusive Legislative List, despite attempts by some Governors to pressure the lawmakers to move it to the Concurrent Legislative List. The passage of the bill implies that the 36 states of the federation are duty-bound to pay the new minimum wage. It is not optional.
The effect of this momentous legislation was not lost on even on social critics. According to human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozhekome in an interview, “The take-home pay of every worker ought to be a matter of public interest, especially to those minding the levers of power, because it is a critical issue affecting all workers, employers of labour and the entire economy. Poor compensation or remuneration breeds inequality and affects productivity and this can serve as a catalyst for social vices such as stealing, banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, suicide, homicide, armed robbery, prostitution, human and drug trafficking, etc.” That is what the Senate averted with the passage of the bill.
The significance is not just the swift passage of the bill important as this may be. The Senators showed a lot of commitment by adjusting their legislative time-table to thrash out this single item. The leadership of the Senate had on several occasions engaged the labour unions not only to avert minimum wage related strikes but also for the overall wellbeing of the Nigerian workers. These are aspects of the National Assembly no one talks about.
The passage of the South East and North West Development Commission bills have also marked the 10th Senate out as working in the interest of the people of Nigeria to meet their yearnings and aspirations. These are revolutionary pieces of legislation that have the potential of changing the developmental paradigm of the geo-political zones.
While the SEDC will ensure the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the zone, as well as tackle ecological problems, and other related environmental or developmental challenges in South East states, the NWDC is set up to facilitate the reconstruction of roads, houses, and business premises destroyed by multidimensional crisis, as well as tackle poverty, literacy level, ecological problems, and any other related environmental or developmental challenges in North West states.
It took the courage of the 10th Assembly for the SEDC to be passed and assented into law. The agitation for the establishment of the Commission started many years ago. Indeed the bill to establish the Commission was passed by the 8th Senate but former President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent while the bill was thrown out twice during the former administration. “This bill is a very important bill that has been passed by this 10th Senate and so I had to hit the gavel to underscore the fact that this bill addresses all the fears of our dear brothers and sisters and my in-laws in the South-East states of Nigeria. I want to say congratulations to you all and I pray this commission will bring a lot of development and will also assist you to stop any formal agitation and bring peace to the region,” Akpabio said at the passage of the historic bill.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo is also impressed with the passage of the SEDC bill. “The SEDC will go a long way to assuage the feelings of the Igbo with respect to the 3R sophistry by General Yakubu Gowonin January 1970. Gowon had assured the world there would be three R: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Igbo land as a result of war ravages. But 54 years after the war, the South East has witnessed the direct opposite of the 3Rs, even in exponential proportion,” Ohaneze said in applauding the bill.
The student loan scheme is another pro-people legislation that the Senate has received wide acclaim for its passage. The law provides for interest-free loans for Nigerians seeking higher education. The loan covers tuition, fees, and maintenance costs, and repayment begins two years after beneficiaries have completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps program. At its passage Senator Akpabio described the student loan bill as one of the most appealing bills to him, saying it gives poor Nigerian students, the less privileged access to higher education.
The Senate has achieved these on the strength of a collaborative effort with the Executive. “Who says Nigeria will not witness a quantum leap in socio-economic developments in the face of a purposeful collaboration that is driven by mutual respect among the arms of a government, particularly the legislature and the executive?” But many Nigerians seem to judge the performance of the legislature with how much opposition it has constituted to the Executive. They want to see a legislature that is at daggers drawn with the Executive, even when this does not bring any tangible benefit to the masses.
The 10th Senate through its people oriented legislation has enacted laws for the wellbeing and security and has worked hard through motions bills and resolutions in promoting the interest and welfare of the common people, even as Nigerians anticipate further positive impact from this important arm of the government.
*EKONG, is Special Assistant (Media/Communication) to the President of the Senate.
