ON PRESIDENT BUHARI'S INVITATION BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY - THE LEGISLATORS SHOULD JUST FOCUS ON LIVING UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITIES
December 31, 2020 | News
With regards to reports that the House of Representatives has queried media reports that it apologised to the Presidency over the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari to come to explain the depreciating security in the country,
ON PRESIDENT BUHARI'S INVITATION BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY - THE LEGISLATORS SHOULD JUST FOCUS ON LIVING UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITIES
With regards to reports that the House of Representatives has queried media reports that it apologised to the Presidency over the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari to come to explain the depreciating security in the country, I believe what the members of the House of Representatives should be more focused on, is how to live up to its official responsibilities and not be so much bothered about how and what the media reported. This is because, if they were living up to the expectations of the Nigerian people, the media would equally report same in their interest.
In my last write-up on the subject matter, I reiterated the fact that one of the problems I have with members of the National Assembly, is that often times, they are more consumed and focused on their welfare and what they would benefit from the system, than what they were elected to do as lawmakers. So, we see them talk and talk, and also complain and complain, especially recently about President Muhammadu Buhari's disrespectful disposition towards the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly. But after that, it is business as usual. As they have refused, and have not been willing to issue a stern query, or even a Vote of No Confidence to President Buhari for his dictatorial tendencies and not being able to address the insecurity situation in the country.
Now, instead of channeling their anger on the Presidency for refusing to honour their invitation, they are pouring out their frustrations on the Nigerian media for deciding to report the situation as they see it.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives should be reminded that they are duty bound to deliver their statutory roles to the Nigerian people they are supposed to be representing. But that has not been the case, and we can all see and attest to this fact. The Attorney-General of the Federation has arrogantly and bluntly made the position of the President Buhari led administration clear in his letter to the House explaining why the President will not honour their invitation. So, why blame the Nigerian media for reporting what is seen clearly, whichever words and sentences they decide to use to report it.
The Nigerian National Assembly, have only been known to bark like a bull dog but they have not been able to muster the courage and boldness to bite, as we can all see. The insecurity situation in the country is not hidden, and this can be seen clearly by the Nigerian public. Every day we hear of herdsmen killings, bandits operations, gangsters/hoodlums/insurgents terrorising Nigerians, kidnappers having a field day kidnapping Nigerians and foreigners for ransom, armed robbers robbing Nigerians at will, Boko haram killing Nigerians in their hundreds. So, what else are they waiting to happen before they would be required to take drastic measures in calling the Presidency to own up to their primary responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians?
And were they expecting the Presidency to say something different other than their usual language of saying that the "Federal Government of Nigeria is on top of the situation." The members of the National Assembly only complain and act as if they were appointed by the President. And this is the same thing we see happen at the State levels of Government, where the State lawmakers practically take instructions from their respective Governors.
As noted by Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator and a Campaigner for social Justice: "When you have people governing a country without ideology, vision, or goal. Whose selfish desires are greed and not service, then each branch of government can be compromised. What you then have is WEAK CHECKS AND BALANCES, or it’s none Existence. Of course, the outcome is suffering, neglect and abject poverty all over the land. Sad state of affairs of a nation called Nigeria."
The President has his official statutory roles as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. And so do the National Assembly lawmakers. But the lawmakers are supposed to be checkmating the excesses of the Executive Arm of Government. Sadly, that has not been seen. Now, they have rushed to fulfill their selfish interests of passing and submitting the 2021 Appropriation Budget to the President, which they are evidently more interested in because of what they are hoping to gain and benefit from a signed budget. That is all they are concerned about - anything that would increase the size of their pockets. It's just rather unfortunate!
Zik Gbemre.
December 30, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With regards to reports that the House of Representatives has queried media reports that it apologised to the Presidency over the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari to come to explain the depreciating security in the country, I believe what the members of the House of Representatives should be more focused on, is how to live up to its official responsibilities and not be so much bothered about how and what the media reported. This is because, if they were living up to the expectations of the Nigerian people, the media would equally report same in their interest.
In my last write-up on the subject matter, I reiterated the fact that one of the problems I have with members of the National Assembly, is that often times, they are more consumed and focused on their welfare and what they would benefit from the system, than what they were elected to do as lawmakers. So, we see them talk and talk, and also complain and complain, especially recently about President Muhammadu Buhari's disrespectful disposition towards the hallowed Chambers of the National Assembly. But after that, it is business as usual. As they have refused, and have not been willing to issue a stern query, or even a Vote of No Confidence to President Buhari for his dictatorial tendencies and not being able to address the insecurity situation in the country.
Now, instead of channeling their anger on the Presidency for refusing to honour their invitation, they are pouring out their frustrations on the Nigerian media for deciding to report the situation as they see it.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives should be reminded that they are duty bound to deliver their statutory roles to the Nigerian people they are supposed to be representing. But that has not been the case, and we can all see and attest to this fact. The Attorney-General of the Federation has arrogantly and bluntly made the position of the President Buhari led administration clear in his letter to the House explaining why the President will not honour their invitation. So, why blame the Nigerian media for reporting what is seen clearly, whichever words and sentences they decide to use to report it.
The Nigerian National Assembly, have only been known to bark like a bull dog but they have not been able to muster the courage and boldness to bite, as we can all see. The insecurity situation in the country is not hidden, and this can be seen clearly by the Nigerian public. Every day we hear of herdsmen killings, bandits operations, gangsters/hoodlums/insurgents terrorising Nigerians, kidnappers having a field day kidnapping Nigerians and foreigners for ransom, armed robbers robbing Nigerians at will, Boko haram killing Nigerians in their hundreds. So, what else are they waiting to happen before they would be required to take drastic measures in calling the Presidency to own up to their primary responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians?
And were they expecting the Presidency to say something different other than their usual language of saying that the "Federal Government of Nigeria is on top of the situation." The members of the National Assembly only complain and act as if they were appointed by the President. And this is the same thing we see happen at the State levels of Government, where the State lawmakers practically take instructions from their respective Governors.
As noted by Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator and a Campaigner for social Justice: "When you have people governing a country without ideology, vision, or goal. Whose selfish desires are greed and not service, then each branch of government can be compromised. What you then have is WEAK CHECKS AND BALANCES, or it’s none Existence. Of course, the outcome is suffering, neglect and abject poverty all over the land. Sad state of affairs of a nation called Nigeria."
The President has his official statutory roles as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. And so do the National Assembly lawmakers. But the lawmakers are supposed to be checkmating the excesses of the Executive Arm of Government. Sadly, that has not been seen. Now, they have rushed to fulfill their selfish interests of passing and submitting the 2021 Appropriation Budget to the President, which they are evidently more interested in because of what they are hoping to gain and benefit from a signed budget. That is all they are concerned about - anything that would increase the size of their pockets. It's just rather unfortunate!
Zik Gbemre.
December 30, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes