7th House: Holding the moral high ground
By Yesuf Bunu
Friday March 09, 2012
Something of a baby of providence, the 7th House of Representatives was birthed at a period of national self doubt when the political signals from the top echelon of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was cacophonic and confusing. This scenario stemmed from the initial controversy on the party’s guiding zoning policy, a script that eventually threw up the presidency of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
But, a dose of political sanity was injected into the polity when the 7th House shrugged off unseemly efforts to impose a leadership on it and a multi-partisan consensus proceeded to elect Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as deputy speaker respectively. But, this was only part of the story.
Quite early in his mandate, Tambuwal left no one in doubt about the resolve of the House leadership to chart a new course.
“We will be responsive, transparent and accountable in all we do. My period of service as the Speaker of this hallowed chamber will restore the House of Representatives as an institution where the will of the people is done,” he told the House in his inaugural speech. If this was calculated to start the healing process in the ranks of a bruised and angered Nigeria, he clearly registered considerable progress. But because Nigerians have been severally disappointed by very promising starts that turned out to be false, the feeling then was caution and restrained optimism.
But today, the initial hesitancy has turned into full blown optimism. Tracking back, the kernel of the legislative blueprint (the much advertised legislative agenda) for the Seventh House which was unveiled June 28, 2011 is a study in specific prescriptions. It traversed constitution amendment, revival and diversification of the economy, employment generation, strengthening of national security, curbing corruption, tackling electricity crisis and general infrastructural decay, improving health system and the educational system and more.
Noted an inspired Tambuwal:
“Over the next four years, the House of Representatives will pursue an aggressive legislative agenda to reposition itself as a key branch of government able and determined to deliver on the key elements of governance. We make bold to state and with great assurance that the legislature has come of age. It is a new day, a new House of Representatives and we are prepared to meet and surpass the expectations of the people to represent their best interest.”
For good measure, he stated, “The agenda will also emphasise the importance of amending the constitution to address several areas of concern. Our legislative agenda will be people-centred and correspond to the expectations of Nigerians. Therefore, we seek to do things differently and reverse the notion of business-as-usual approach that has been a source of worry to our people.”
Can the leadership of the 7th House deliver on this compelling agenda? An important answer comes in the performance of the Hon. Farouk Lawan-led committee probing the oil subsidy regime. The compassionate and time-sensitive handling of President Goodluck Jonathan’s zero-subsidy move and the public anger it generated are clearly throw-backs to the legislative agenda, which at the outset proclaimed to do things differently. It could be recalled that an ad hoc committee was set up by the House of Representatives to probe Management of Petroleum Subsidy regime.
This flowed from a resolution passed by the House during an emergency session on the 8th of January, 2012. The resolution was provoked by the sudden, complete withdrawal of the petroleum subsidy by the government, a situation which spawned controversy verging on breakdown of public order for several days.
The ensuing Honourable Lawan Farouk-led House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Management of Petroleum Subsidy Fund delivered a commendable oversight duty on the matter. After three weeks of cloak-and-dagger like disclosures, on Thursday, February 9, the long public hearing conducted by the Farouk-led House Committee wrapped up its sittings.
While the investigation lasted, several shocking revelations of dirty deals perpetrated by the actors in the downstream turf of the petroleum industry came to light. The extent of revelations and contrived operational opacity of the oil industry tell a gruesome story of the criminality that has defined the country’s prominent life-line economic sector – with official connivance. Strangely, the submissions of about 140 oil firms that participated in the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) who appeared before the probe panel to explain their roles raised more questions than answers.
Worse still, at press time, the reported intensity of pressure on the Lawan committee to compromise its report is extraordinary. Even Hon. Lawan himself conceded that such a criminal pressure indeed exists. But apparently, these shadowy forces of regression are mistaking the Lawan committee for previous contraptions that kow-towed to their evil designs to shortchange Nigerians.
Firmly anchored on the vision of the leadership of the 7th House, it is inconceivable that Hon. Lawan will submit to such criminal pressure. At press time, speculations are rife that the forces interested in short-circuiting the committee’s final report have gone into over-drive to compel a different outcome. But many have come to believe in the honour, sincerity, moral high ground and unswerving focus of the 7th House.
Clearly, those who have been following the present 7th National Assembly under the current Speaker,
Tambuwal, agree that the House leadership has been very shrewd and diligent in its handling of proceedings and other issues in the House. Such maturity and wisdom have been evident in the appointment of committees’ membership. Beyond that, the House has maintained a harmonious relationship with the Executive arm without breaking faith with the Nigerian people that have given members the mandate to represent their interest.
For much that is clear, the House has showed irreversible commitment in fast-tracking development with the leadership showing exemplary humility, humanness, patience and sincerity of purpose in good and critical times in the nation while seeking the cooperation of friendly countries in tackling security challenge in the country. Beyond that the House under Speaker Tambuwal has always spoken of the need for a purposeful and responsive leadership to deepen democracy in Nigeria.
This is necessary because leadership failure does not mean that the followers should simply exclude themselves from blame by pontificating at elected leaders. Unity of purpose is essential for democracy to blossom and be sustained. Overall, the present 7th National Assembly has not hidden its vision to chart a purposeful path, away from the self-inflicted scandals of the 6th session under Speaker Dimeji Bankole which did well but ended with a baggage of scams. This could explain why the National Legislative Agenda for the seventh session of the House under Tambuwal is said to be the most novel in the history of the House since the present democratic dispensation began in 1999.
Meanwhile, for the teeming Nigerians who are seared by the daily reality of hunger, deprivation, insecurity and a full-blown crisis of faith, it may simply be morning yet on creation day.
Bunu writes from Ilorin
