NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IS NOT ONLY MEANT FOR LEGISLATION – Eyiboh
By Ani Michael
By Section 4(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the National Assembly with its legislative powers of Oversight, Appropriation and Legislation, can resolve every contentious issues of sub and national challenges.
Hon. Eseme Eyiboh , a former lawmaker and chieftain of All Progressives Congress(APC) made the assertion in Uyo during his interface with journalists in the Fair Hearing Arena.
Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh , in responding to a journalist’s question on his position on the issue of the ownership of Stubbs Creeks Forest Reserve (Akoiyak), opined that effective deployment of the legislative oversight responsibility for law and order, constructive engagement of relevant authorities and deep knowledge of the felt need of his constituents are in the heart of the resolution of any agitation. He reiterated that, most of the lingering and unresolved agitations are consequences of our poor leadership recruitment culture of electing wrong people into our sub and national institutions.
He identified the interference of state governors in the recruitment process of lawmakers as one of the causes of lack of robust engagement of lawmakers and state governors on critical issues bordering on good governance, service delivery, conflict management and peace building.
As a people and over the years, we have recruited and succeeded in developing strong men than strong institutions required to evolve our development needs.
Rt.Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, APC candidate for Eket/Onna/Esit Eket/Ibeno Federal Constituency assured his constituents that the Ekid/Ibeno agitation on Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve would be resolved through the constructive engagement of relevant government institutions, community based organisations and the titular headships.
“By God’s grace particularly, my robust legislative depth and tremendous network, my membership of the House of Representatives shall yield an unrivaled derivatives from constitutional democratic representation”; he retorted. He further asserted that, he is going to the National Assembly with cutting-edge, design-thinking and innovative mindset to trigger community enterprise development, youth inclusiveness, sustainable development strategies and women empowerment.
Hon Eyiboh expressed his shock over the audacious vituperations of some itinerant political do-gooders who are on the prowl laying claims to the God factor in our electoral process. He posited that the world has gone past the age of submarines and bayonets to the present age of innovations and artificial intelligence. Legislative business requires depth, mental agility, proactiveness, the grace of the garb and consistent presence of mind on the ball, unfortunately most representatives are not nominated by the people but selected by the powers that-be regardless of the global best practices.
However, the inherent powers of lawmaking, appropriation and oversight can not be effectively engaged to intervene in our governance challenges because the electoral representatives are not representing the people. They represent the governors who nominated and imposed them on the people in elections. The principle of ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune’ becomes the anthem.
“For example, the issue of oversight is very nebulous that, it requires the grasp of content and reform-mindedness to effectively deploy to enhance effective representation. But because most of the people in the National Assembly rather represent the Governor and not the people, they are deficient in the undertaking.
“But I can confront the governor if I am the representative of the people. And who are these people? They are the people within the electoral constituency who freely elected and empowered you with their sovereignty.
Eyiboh, called for recruitment of right and competent persons in leadership positions in the country, stressing that the steam of conflicts and agitations can be resolved if competent people are in the right positions.
“So, most of these things we are taking about is a product of our recruitment process. When you recruit the wrong people, we must get the agitations and conflicts you are having”.
Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, said with his experience in legislative business at the National Assembly, his constituents should expect the resolution of the Akouiyak and other sundry issues.
“I am going to the House of Representatives to reconnect our people to the national political power grid and jumpstart the revival for our greatness. I shall be a messenger of the people and not the representative of government at any level in the National Assembly”.
Eyiboh, who is a dealer in hope and social justice evangelist, called for the interrogation of our leadership recruitment culture and enthronement of competent persons in leadership positions in the various layers of responsibilities, stressing that the steam of conflicts, marginalisation and deprivation can be resolve through transformational leadership in the appropriate positions.
