#KwaraCentral2023: It's sad Kwara Governor , Abdulrahaman, Dropped Senator Oloriegbe, a Medical Doctor, for an ordinary OND holder - DG NILDS, Prof. Suleiman

Professor of Political Science and Director General of the national institute of Legislative studies , (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Suleiman has described as a sad development, the inability of current Kwara central senator, Yahaya Oloriegbe to scale through the apc primaries which have scuttled his bid to return as the Senator for the 10th national assembly.

Recall that incumbent Senator Oloriegbe lost out to Mallam Salihu Mustapha, in a controversial APC Primaries allegedly maneuvered by Governor Abdulrahaman to favour Salihu Mustapha over the incumbent Senator Oloriegbe .Before the fraudulent APC primary,Mallam Salihu Mustapha had aspired to be national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC , before he was prevailed upon by party cabals to steps down for Abdullahi Adamu, the incumbent national chairman.

The NILDS DG, who said the choice of Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq to pick Mustapha over Oloriegbe, whom he described as highly influential and intellectual criticised the substitution of a medical Doctor with with Mustapha, whom he described as an ordinary OND holder with zero Legislative experience,noting that sacrificing experience and capable lawmakers on the altar of politics will always have grave consequences for the region they represent.

Professor Suleiman made this known during a paper presentation titled: ‘High turnover of lawmakers: Impact and way forward’ during the 2022 Press Week organized by the House of Representatives’ Press Corps’,

Professor Sulaiman, who observed that politics should be about service to the country and not short route to accumulating personal wealth submitted that “Legislature has a major role to stem corruption in the country, thereby helping to promote accountability and good governance that will deliver maximum democratic dividends to the vast majority of Nigerian citizens.”

The former minister during the Monday presentation also expressed concerns over the roles of State Governors leading to a high-turnover rate of Legislators across the country.

Professor Sulaiman averred that the high turnover rate does not only disrupt legislative process and activities but also do not ensure continuity between one session of the Assembly and its succeeding regimes, as well as stall timely passage of critical bills such as Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) for over 15 years.

Citing an examples of Kwara Governor, Mallam Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq who chose an OND holder , Salihu Mustapha, to an incumbent Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe, who's the chairman, Senate Committee on Health and a medical consultant , described the action of Kwara Governor as retrogressive and unwarranted.

“When I was talking about Executive, one of the most vibrant senators today is Oloriegbe from Kwara central but he’s not coming back again because Kwara state Governor doesn’t like his face. When you look at Senators that have the highest honour of bills, Senator Oloriegbe is one of them in the 9th Assembly but despite that performance, the Governor said I don’t like him so he’s not going back."

“The Governor instead, gave it to a lesser person. He (Oloriegbe) is a Medical Doctor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and now you are giving to another person who is an OND holder. So, when you look at it critically, where are we heading to? It’s a sad development,”

Professor Suleiman lamented that the current trend is a drawback for us as a country in terms of governance, funding, wasting of resources, and loss of manpower of lawmakers that know the job. That has been the recurring decimal in the last 23 years, and more worrisome is this year.

He maintained that “incapacitation of the Legislature in Nigeria through a high turnover of legislators, four years interval and inadequate funding coupled with deficiencies of enabling laws, have made our practice of democracy to be less development-driven

He also observed that most of the experienced Senators and members of the House of Representatives that are not coming back to the Upper and Lower Chambers “is on account of executive rascality and that must stop.

“In National Assembly or Legislature, we talk about ranking. If you are doing rotational, your Constituency will never produce Principal Officers. When you are not a ranking, except you use the power of Akpabio. What Akpabio did to accede to the leadership of the minority that time which is uncommon, everything about Akpabio is uncommon.

According to him, “In terms of right to that constituency; they have lost, just as we lost in Kwara central, they have lost too in the Yobe North because we need experience even when it comes to the issue of intervention funds, in terms of constituency project they have lost.”

In the bid to correct the negative narratives, the NILDS accounting officer underscored the need for the Parliament to “engage with policy and other technical issues routinely presented to the Parliament rather than just being loyal candidates to party warlords or Governors.

“There is, therefore, need for rigorous overhaul of the nation’s recruitment process into the parliament. While it is possible from time to time for the democratic process to inject new people into the Legislatures, non-Executive interference and other extraneous factors in the selection of legislative candidates can protect legislative terms and results over the long term and thereby guaranteeing institutional development and capacity building.


“The legislative arm of government must be strengthened through financial and administrative autonomy. The over-dependence of most state Houses of Assembly on funding from the Executive makes them susceptible to manipulation and executive control. Most State Houses of Assembly have not been able to perform their constitutionally assigned roles of oversight on the executive because the leadership of such houses is mere appendages of the executive.

“That is why the issue of autonomy for the legislature needs to be re-emphasized. A situation where parliament would go cap in hand to source funds must come to an end. The clamour must be intensified, and it must not be the responsibility of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) alone. The press must also get involved because we all bear the brunt of this anomaly.”

Going forward, he canvassed for an amendment to the 1999 Constitution, either by prescribing more years for the legislative tenure or stem the incursion of the retired Governors and other executives into eroding the independence of the legislature. The legislature is too important to be the retirement home of Governors and other Executive bigwigs. All efforts must be put in place to change this trend,” he urged.

Also corroborating the NILDShelmsman, the Chairman, House of Representatives Press Corps, Ms. Grace Ike observed that the theme for this year’s event is apt owing to the 2023 general elections that will birth a new Assembly.

According to her, “Since the return to democracy in 1999, the country has continuously witnessed a high turnover of legislators every election cycle. As Journalists covering the National Assembly, we are set to witness the highest turnover of Lawmakers in the 2023 election and this is a cause to worry about.

“Obviously, about 70- 80 percent of lawmakers will not make it back to both the federal and State Assemblies, which is quite worrisome and the adverse effect resulting to loss of institutional memories, experience and relegation of competency to the background among other issues.

“As we all know, Democracy cannot exist without the legislature hence the need for a critical stakeholders’ summit on the adverse effects of high turnover of lawmakers: the good and the bad. For us in the Press Corps who have been covering the parliament for decades, we will continue to analyse and educate the public on its advantages and disadvantages.”

In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who was represented by Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Peter Akpatason reiterated the 9th Assembly’s resolve towards supporting “Nigerian people, to serve the Nigerian people, and to make and support laws that will continue to protect the interest of Nigerians and provide for Nigerians the kind of leadership that is required.

“I am sure you saw what happened during the ASUU crisis the role played by the speaker of the people, those are the kind of things that this Assembly pays so much attention to and emphasis so much.

“To ensure that at any point in time, when intervention is needed we are there for the people and we cannot do this without your continuous support. You have been there for us and you have supported us in every way, we appreciate this and wish to continue to partner with you in every way that we can so that you can also do your job efficiently.”

You don't need any brains to navigate Nigerian political space.

Oloriegbe is needed back in the consulting room.

Shey he qualify?
Maybe he will deliver

Nigerian politics is not about competence......
Sometimes, its about doing favors and cashing-in favors.....


The governor is returning a favor to one god father

!!!

advanceDNA:
Nigerian politics is not about competence......
Sometimes, its about doing favors and cashing-in favors.....


The governor is returning a favor to one god father