Hon Solomon Edoja, a former member of the House of Representatives representing Ethiope Federal constituency was in Kwara State for six months to help salvage the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the mass exodus of many politicians in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Now a member of the APC in Delta State, he speaks on the recent impeachment of the Ondo State Deputy Governor as well as the power tussle between PDP and APC legislators in Ekite State. Excerpts:
By Perez Brisibe
What is your reaction to the impeachment of the Ondo State Deputy Governor on charges of gross misconduct?
Everything that took place in the Ondo House of Assembly drama that led to the impeachment of the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, is a charade, a mockery of the legislative arm of government at the state level and a caricature of the constitutional provision for impeachmentTo crown it all, the sending of names for replacement and subsequent confirmation and swearing in is premeditated and highly regrettable. Each of these actions by the lawmakers clearly show that they have lost direction and simply an arm of the executive.
They claimed that the deputy governor was impeached on allegation of gross misconduct, if I may ask, what is gross misconduct? Is it that, when a Governor defects to another party it is not gross misconduct but when his deputy defects to another party it is gross misconduct? The deputy governor is an elected officer of Ondo State Government and the election of the governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko cannot stand without his deputy whom the governor was elected alongside.I think the impeachment plot by the Ondo state House of Assemble is preposterous and it is sarcastic to treat the deputy governor as a personal staff of the governor. For further clarification and avoidance of doubt, the lawmakers behind the impeachment plot should come public on what constitute gross misconduct as used against Olanusi.
There has been an ensuing power tussle between the APC and PDP legislators as well as the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose, how would you describe the trend?
It is very sad that such a scenario is playing out in Nigeria because it makes us look as if we are in a banana republic.
Banana republic
How can the executive arm use the Nigeria Police to prevent 19 elected members from entering the Ekiti State House of Assembly while encouraging another seven members to sit in the chamber of the House and make laws for the good (bad) governance of Ekiti state? If I may ask, is democracy still the government by the majority in Ekiti state?
Everything happening in Ekiti State seems to portray Nigeria as an unserious country. How can this be going on for months and the Federal Government that controls the Police is looking the other way by playing the ostrich? I am using this medium to call on the new Acting Inspector of General of Police to immediately ensure that he provides a level playing field for all members to sit at the chamber without further delay. If the Governor of Ekiti is doing well as the case of the Governor of Nassarawa state whose party controls the minority in the House of assembly, he cannot be impeached.
The people will rise against them as was the case in Nassarawa and the impeachment plot will fail.For the various state Houses of Assembly, they must justify their existence and add value to democracy. If they continue to function as house -helps of their governors then there may be a public outcry demanding the abolition of the various Houses of Assembly. Governors must remain in their states and perform their constitutional duties rather than junketing to Abuja as unnecessary interloper and in Federal Government activities and no state Governor who has not served as a lawmaker must be allowed into the Senate.
Ahead of the eigth National Assembly, we would be having many state governors as senators. Is this as a positive trend for democracy?
Let me use this opportunity to caution the unhealthy development of governors coming to the Senate either as a resting place or seeking protection from the law or making themselves politically relevant.
Loss of experienced legislators
Olanusi
The list has grown from six ex-governors in 2007 to 16 of them in 2015.After reducing and degrading their Houses of Assembly these governors come to the Senate with the same mind set they applied on their assemblies. We have lost experienced legislators and resources except in some few cases.
Personally, I feel these ex-governors have no role to play in the National Assembly. Rather, they have introduced all kinds of ridiculous allowances that have made the recurrent budget of the National Assembly to be on the increase. This trend must stop if democracy must survive. Ex-governors who are willing to participate in lawmaking must seek election into their state Houses of Assembly.
In all, the incoming lawmakers must cut down on their allowances, ostentatious lifestyles, avoid connivance with ministries and departments and agencies.
They should note that the era of embarking on oversight to intimidate and blackmail these MDA’s with the purpose of extortion are over as the Buhari Administration will not hesitate to prosecute all offenders including the lawmakers and their collaborators.
Hi. I’m a Web Developer and Graphics Designer, I enjoy blogging as part-time and I draw a lot when I’m free. Thanks for visiting my blog today and I hope you come back next time.
0 comments:
Post a Comment