RE-IF ONLY OUR SUPPOSED HONOURABLE LAWMAKERS WILL CHOSE TO BE HONOURABLE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS, NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT
May 21, 2021 | News
Every time that I consider the existing structure, character, often disposition of, and attitude towards statutory functions/duties exhibited by Nigerian lawmakers, which oftentimes paint a picture of legislators that clearly do not fully understand their roles, the demands of their positions, and the seriousness this portends in nation-building; my heart simply aches.
-By Zik Gbemre
IF ONLY OUR SUPPOSED HONOURABLE LAWMAKERS WILL CHOSE TO BE HONOURABLE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS, NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT
Though Nigerian lawmakers are referred to as ‘Honourable members’, but are they Honourable Members or Horrible Members?…
Nigerian lawmakers have become rubber stamps who are very good at barking, but they have not mustered the courage to bite…especially in the face of the excesses from the Executive Government…
Until our Nigerian politicians and lawmakers stop being the grand-thieves and then decide that Nigeria will be great, then and only then will Nigeria be made great…
Every time that I consider the existing structure, character, often disposition of, and attitude towards statutory functions/duties exhibited by Nigerian lawmakers, which oftentimes paint a picture of legislators that clearly do not fully understand their roles, the demands of their positions, and the seriousness this portends in nation-building; my heart simply aches. And I believe a lot of well-meaning Nigerians feel the same way too about our Nigerian lawmakers.
Like I have noted in some of my past write-ups on the similar subject matter; Nigerian lawmakers have become rubber stamps who are very good at barking, but they have not mustered the courage to bite and bite really hard, especially in checkmating the excesses of the Executive Government. For instance, with the ‘nonsense’ being dished on a daily basis by the present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, especially in their failures to secure the lives and property of the Nigerian people, and the President’s refusal to honour all of the invitations by the National Assembly to come and explain things; one would have thought that by now, Mr. President would have been impeached. But no! they are still busy licking his feet and patting his back.
In fact, sometimes I wonder if we still have federal and States’ legislatures. Not to mention the fact that these so-called honourable members of the National Assembly, who are actually best described as ‘dishonourable members’, are recipients of outrageous salaries/bonuses who still enjoy ‘high-maintenance culture’, which they allocate to themselves annually, regardless of the economic situation of the country at any time. Or the fact that their chambers are usually pictures of empty seats during their weekly plenary sessions. Or is their penchant to quickly pass Bills that would project and protect their interests, like Bills bothering on their constituency projects or the purchase of brand-new official vehicles. But mindlessly and purposely delay the passage of Bills meant to improve the lives of Nigerians. The list is quite many if we are to state all the anomalies and things wrong with our Nigerian so-called lawmakers, all of which make the National and State Assemblies to be in ‘a sorry state as Institutions of the legislature. And we wonder why Nigeria has remained backward and underdeveloped than it was when compared between post-independence Republics, and from 1999 to date.
Truth is, once a society is able to get its legislative process right, which involves enacting laws for the common good of all and sundry, every other thing can easily fall into place, including the enforcement/execution of such laws by the Executive and the interpretation of such laws by the Judiciary. ONCE WE MISS IT AT THE LEGISLATIVE POINT, EVERY OTHER THING FALLS APART BECAUSE LAWS AND POLICIES ARE THE BUILDING FOUNDATION OF ORDER, CLARITY AND VISION FOR A SOCIETY TO BE POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT PATH OF GROWTH. BUT WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT EVENTUALLY MAKE IT AS LAWMAKERS ARE PEOPLE OF “HORRIBLE” CHARACTERS, WITHOUT INTEGRITY AND PEOPLE WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS ‘THE UNTOUCHABLES,’ NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE – THEN THAT SOCIETY IS DOOMED. SADLY, THAT HAS BEEN THE LOT OF NIGERIA.
This is also a problem peculiar to the legislative arms in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. Once again, the short video speech made by Kenyan anti-corruption crusader, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, which I have mentioned in past articles, comes to mind to paint this subject picture rightly.
While admonishing Nigerian legislators after their inauguration few years ago, Prof. Lumumba said: “…Now that Nigerians and Africans refer you to as honourable members. The question is, ARE YOU HONOURABLE MEMBERS OR HORRIBLE MEMBERS? Because the question as to whether you are honourable is DETERMINED BY THE SERVICE THAT YOU RENDER TO THE PEOPLE. Now that Nigerians have given you the opportunity to think for them, to imagine for them, when it is reported in the green chamber magazine, and we talk of Nigeria as being a great country, the question is, and we will be asking you; are you midwives for the good things of Nigeria? Are you midwives that deliver bouncing baby boys and girls? Or you are midwives that kill the children in the cradle? Nigerians will be asking those painful questions, which are necessary, but uncomfortable. Even as I’m congratulating you, you should ask yourself: DO YOU DESERVE TO BE CONGRATULATED? Because my congratulations are only useful if you are SERVANTS OF NIGERIA.
“Nigeria is a great country. But I hold the view that Nigeria should be in the same space economically as Germany is. Nigeria should be in the same space politically as the United States is. I look forward to the day when Nigeria would have reawakened her agriculture, and that legislation will be produced and publicized in the Magazine which speaks to Agriculture. I know Nigeria can be great. I know Nigeria will be great, but Nigeria can be great and will only be great if you men and women seated here, say that Nigeria will be great.”
In Nigeria, there are two kinds of thieves, the petty thieves who are the poor people that are often coerced to steal and engage in corrupt practices due to lack and deprivation. Then we have the grand-thieves, who are the politicians and their families and fronts, who have become the ‘untouchables’ because they often use their illegally acquired wealth to bribe their way through every institution that wants to stop them. As said by Prof. Lumumba, these are like the lawmakers who allocate to themselves the title of honourable, but they are the opposite of what being honourable is all about. As for me, since 1990 till date, I have described the Nigerian parliamentarians (lawmakers) as ‘dishonourable people’, and the State Governors who allocate to themselves the title of Excellency, as ‘un-excellency’ bunch of public nuisances. Even the Nigerian lawmakers at the state levels are nothing but ‘Personal Assistants’ of their State Governors who take orders from these Governors that are like the Emperors of the early centuries - like Emperor Mansa Musa of the old Ghana Empire, and the Emperor Askia of the great Songhai empire. These set of Nigerian politicians have made themselves to be the untouchables of our society who are not obliged to be accountable to the Nigerian common masses.
According to a statement by Howard Zinn, an American historian, playwright, and socialist thinker: “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world, have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience… Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… and the grand thieves are running the country. That is our problem.” This perfectly describes the Nigerian situation in decades and still counting. So, UNTIL OUR NIGERIAN POLITICIANS AND LAWMAKERS AT ALL LEVELS STOP BEING THE GRAND-THIEVES, AND THEN DECIDE THAT NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT, THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL NIGERIA BE MADE GREAT BY THE CHANGES IN THEIR ACTIONS.
Zik Gbemre.
May 21, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
IF ONLY OUR SUPPOSED HONOURABLE LAWMAKERS WILL CHOSE TO BE HONOURABLE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS, NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT
Though Nigerian lawmakers are referred to as ‘Honourable members’, but are they Honourable Members or Horrible Members?…
Nigerian lawmakers have become rubber stamps who are very good at barking, but they have not mustered the courage to bite…especially in the face of the excesses from the Executive Government…
Until our Nigerian politicians and lawmakers stop being the grand-thieves and then decide that Nigeria will be great, then and only then will Nigeria be made great…
Every time that I consider the existing structure, character, often disposition of, and attitude towards statutory functions/duties exhibited by Nigerian lawmakers, which oftentimes paint a picture of legislators that clearly do not fully understand their roles, the demands of their positions, and the seriousness this portends in nation-building; my heart simply aches. And I believe a lot of well-meaning Nigerians feel the same way too about our Nigerian lawmakers.
Like I have noted in some of my past write-ups on the similar subject matter; Nigerian lawmakers have become rubber stamps who are very good at barking, but they have not mustered the courage to bite and bite really hard, especially in checkmating the excesses of the Executive Government. For instance, with the ‘nonsense’ being dished on a daily basis by the present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari, especially in their failures to secure the lives and property of the Nigerian people, and the President’s refusal to honour all of the invitations by the National Assembly to come and explain things; one would have thought that by now, Mr. President would have been impeached. But no! they are still busy licking his feet and patting his back.
In fact, sometimes I wonder if we still have federal and States’ legislatures. Not to mention the fact that these so-called honourable members of the National Assembly, who are actually best described as ‘dishonourable members’, are recipients of outrageous salaries/bonuses who still enjoy ‘high-maintenance culture’, which they allocate to themselves annually, regardless of the economic situation of the country at any time. Or the fact that their chambers are usually pictures of empty seats during their weekly plenary sessions. Or is their penchant to quickly pass Bills that would project and protect their interests, like Bills bothering on their constituency projects or the purchase of brand-new official vehicles. But mindlessly and purposely delay the passage of Bills meant to improve the lives of Nigerians. The list is quite many if we are to state all the anomalies and things wrong with our Nigerian so-called lawmakers, all of which make the National and State Assemblies to be in ‘a sorry state as Institutions of the legislature. And we wonder why Nigeria has remained backward and underdeveloped than it was when compared between post-independence Republics, and from 1999 to date.
Truth is, once a society is able to get its legislative process right, which involves enacting laws for the common good of all and sundry, every other thing can easily fall into place, including the enforcement/execution of such laws by the Executive and the interpretation of such laws by the Judiciary. ONCE WE MISS IT AT THE LEGISLATIVE POINT, EVERY OTHER THING FALLS APART BECAUSE LAWS AND POLICIES ARE THE BUILDING FOUNDATION OF ORDER, CLARITY AND VISION FOR A SOCIETY TO BE POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT PATH OF GROWTH. BUT WHEN THE PEOPLE THAT EVENTUALLY MAKE IT AS LAWMAKERS ARE PEOPLE OF “HORRIBLE” CHARACTERS, WITHOUT INTEGRITY AND PEOPLE WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS ‘THE UNTOUCHABLES,’ NOT ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE – THEN THAT SOCIETY IS DOOMED. SADLY, THAT HAS BEEN THE LOT OF NIGERIA.
This is also a problem peculiar to the legislative arms in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. Once again, the short video speech made by Kenyan anti-corruption crusader, Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, which I have mentioned in past articles, comes to mind to paint this subject picture rightly.
While admonishing Nigerian legislators after their inauguration few years ago, Prof. Lumumba said: “…Now that Nigerians and Africans refer you to as honourable members. The question is, ARE YOU HONOURABLE MEMBERS OR HORRIBLE MEMBERS? Because the question as to whether you are honourable is DETERMINED BY THE SERVICE THAT YOU RENDER TO THE PEOPLE. Now that Nigerians have given you the opportunity to think for them, to imagine for them, when it is reported in the green chamber magazine, and we talk of Nigeria as being a great country, the question is, and we will be asking you; are you midwives for the good things of Nigeria? Are you midwives that deliver bouncing baby boys and girls? Or you are midwives that kill the children in the cradle? Nigerians will be asking those painful questions, which are necessary, but uncomfortable. Even as I’m congratulating you, you should ask yourself: DO YOU DESERVE TO BE CONGRATULATED? Because my congratulations are only useful if you are SERVANTS OF NIGERIA.
“Nigeria is a great country. But I hold the view that Nigeria should be in the same space economically as Germany is. Nigeria should be in the same space politically as the United States is. I look forward to the day when Nigeria would have reawakened her agriculture, and that legislation will be produced and publicized in the Magazine which speaks to Agriculture. I know Nigeria can be great. I know Nigeria will be great, but Nigeria can be great and will only be great if you men and women seated here, say that Nigeria will be great.”
In Nigeria, there are two kinds of thieves, the petty thieves who are the poor people that are often coerced to steal and engage in corrupt practices due to lack and deprivation. Then we have the grand-thieves, who are the politicians and their families and fronts, who have become the ‘untouchables’ because they often use their illegally acquired wealth to bribe their way through every institution that wants to stop them. As said by Prof. Lumumba, these are like the lawmakers who allocate to themselves the title of honourable, but they are the opposite of what being honourable is all about. As for me, since 1990 till date, I have described the Nigerian parliamentarians (lawmakers) as ‘dishonourable people’, and the State Governors who allocate to themselves the title of Excellency, as ‘un-excellency’ bunch of public nuisances. Even the Nigerian lawmakers at the state levels are nothing but ‘Personal Assistants’ of their State Governors who take orders from these Governors that are like the Emperors of the early centuries - like Emperor Mansa Musa of the old Ghana Empire, and the Emperor Askia of the great Songhai empire. These set of Nigerian politicians have made themselves to be the untouchables of our society who are not obliged to be accountable to the Nigerian common masses.
According to a statement by Howard Zinn, an American historian, playwright, and socialist thinker: “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people all over the world, have obeyed the dictates of leaders…and millions have been killed because of this obedience… Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty. Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves… and the grand thieves are running the country. That is our problem.” This perfectly describes the Nigerian situation in decades and still counting. So, UNTIL OUR NIGERIAN POLITICIANS AND LAWMAKERS AT ALL LEVELS STOP BEING THE GRAND-THIEVES, AND THEN DECIDE THAT NIGERIA WILL BE GREAT, THEN AND ONLY THEN WILL NIGERIA BE MADE GREAT BY THE CHANGES IN THEIR ACTIONS.
Zik Gbemre.
May 21, 2021
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes