Issues relating to women and the game of power have been known to steer emotions particularly from the fair sex. It does not matter if the reasoning is right, or if the audience is being convinced, but there must be emotions anyway. And when it starts, it stays. I do not expect this piece to make me popular among women, and I would not care. Someone is carrying the banner of women wrongly and that person must have to pay a price, or all the women will pay later.
The speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly Mrs Chinwe Nwaebili is presiding over what can only aspire to hive its name. She presides over a house that had to sit for ten minutes and adjourn till the next day, repeat the same ‘feat’ the next day and follow up until her house attained the required number of sitting days enshrined in the constitution, for the year 2012.
Yet someone thinks we should clap for her, give her a chieftaincy title or award her a doctorate degree in mushroom universities or better still make a two-week old nongovernmental organization to declare her the speaker of the year 2012. Are these not some of the ways modern politicians of Nigeria put a stamp of virtue on impunity?
But why with all the problems and challenges in a state would a house fall short of its legislative days? Let’s put our guesses together. Close –door sessions, so limitless in number and time span; holidays and jamborees that are never in short supply and ,yes missing in action or looking the other way to let the executive have their way, for a price. All this while legislative duties call and the state yearn for democracy at the state and especially at the local government levels of government.
The last seems at place as all 30 members of the Anambra State House of Assembly led by madam speaker are in South Africa now. They are not there to compare notes with the parliament, or to behold the checks and balances offered by the parliament in Cape Town to the executive in Tshwane (Pretoria). They are not there to see in Etekwini Secretariats (Durban) how the counterparts of Paul Odenigbo, ex-secretary to the state government who made the house approve the sack of a state ‘independent’ electoral boss in two hours are keeping to the norms of civilized governance. They are there to watch Super Eagles in their draw soup and 15 other nations across eight venues play football. They are there on holiday that will cost the state government nothing less than N 0.5 billion and all is right and quiet and under the hand and seal of Governor Peter Obi, who they should check.
They are not away when the tide of legislative work is low. They are not there when governance for 2013 is on autopilot. They are there when the 2013 budget proposal of the executive, wishy-washy as many think the package sounds is supposed to be under serious scrutiny and deliberations so that the embedded graft of pretending to construct new roads that only require minor repairs can get the proper reaction.
They have surrendered themselves to be distracted by the executive. Before they come back, priced assets and pieces of heritage of the state would have been taken over by individuals in the state government with some jigging that surrenders only a painful minority to the common till, just like we have seen in some brewery at Onitsha.
Are you expecting anything more than a roaring: ‘A-P-P-R-O-O-V-E-D!’ when the party is over? Think again!!
Before they come back there may be no need to question why 50 citizens, able –bodied men in the prime of human capital will be found dead floating on a river that supplies water to the communities represented in the house. They would have helped to sweep the events under the carpet. Little wonder the house has not intervened on, that morbid drama, even when the Federal House of Representatives have issued a resolution?
Before they come back from this long-drawn holiday which began in the third week of December 2012 and ends in the first week of February, the false claims made by the executive in a so called good governance tour where legislators and major stakeholders in Anambra state were missing would be something of distant memory.
Before they come back, January will of course be gone, and whatever compromise remains to be signed as budget 2013 would be signed in February or March, half-way through half-hazard implementation to foist a fait accompli on a state that lies prostrate, waiting to be governed.
And yet they have a house, a leadership and a woman who is creating a bad market for those who argue that women deserve more places in government positions. And with some kindness and historical depth, she should not have done so. The last woman in that position failed to rise up to the occasion when some hoodlums broke into the house in 2005 and told her that the governors had resigned, asking her to convene a meeting to accept the resolution, and she did. Of course she was impeached. So why should the eraser be another offending pencil, even if she is not the popular choice of her constituency?
If you ask me and this is nothing personal, Mrs Chinwe Nwaebili should board the next available airplane from South Africa and return to Anambra State to resign immediately and apologies to the people of Anambra State on this development so that a new leadership can hold the executive accountable on the many flaws that Nwaebili is ignoring to protect a fading position.
I have heard many say that Anambra State has no house, but I thought that at least if they lack the conscience to do their work of checking the executive, they should be able to avoid this wholesale endorsement of the executives naked corruption, where money good enough to give the people of Anambra State water coming from taps inside their homes, rather than proposed and half-abandoned waterworks in far-between locations is lavished in a frivolous wholesale jamboree.
But then if Anambra has elected a house that neither its members through their conduct, nor the executive for obvious reasons have allowed to work, where are the fillers? Where are the pressure groups? Where are the elders of Anambra State and the traditional rulers? Where are the opposition political parties? Where are those who aspire to lead and where are those who clamor to take their turn at the governorship seat? Where are the NGOs? Where are the constituents?
Something tells me that Anambra State is bleeding financially and someone somewhere has to stop the hemorrhage. But then who? Is it you? Is it me? Is it Governor Obi? Is it Speaker Nwaebili? Hell no! In every civilized clime where the issues in Anambra today are enough to call off a holiday, she would have been on her way out of the house by now. But for now we are okay with letting someone else ‘speak’.
Over to Ndi Anambra
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Dr Ozue writes from Nnewi
And the beat goes on and on and on! And would continue until we start electing the right people to positions in our country. Chibuzor Obiakor, Ogidi, Idemili North LGA
I did not know that someone holds exactly the same view as I do in this issue, and except we all rise to the occasion and react the way expected of us, we will continue to be plundered by the imbeciles. from maurice efobi nkpor anambra state.
Even the Senate today passed a resolution on the matter of Ezu River ,after rebuking leaders in Anambra State for keeping quiet on the development.. Our state sincerely needs leadership. But why should the house be this irresponsible,even when we know that majority of them had their results written against the count of votes with the same executive powers. There is too much bad news coming from Anambra.
Are people sufficiently educated on the procedure for recalling legislators who are not doing the wishes of their constituents.Something has to give.
Chigbo,Faggae,Onitsha
Jobless Doctor you are at it Again…How Much did you get paid this time? Who even made you a DR? you’re probably one of those people, who wouldn’t sit and give advice to the government for the betterment of the general public, but rather, write to be Noticed by the Clowns of the house who patronizes your Weakness. if you are made a Governor or a Speaker for even five hours, you’d request for a robe from the cattle ranch and commit suicide because after carefully reading your unwarranted scandal, I’ve observed that You lack Common sense which is essential to every living human being, and that you’re one of these people who cannot even keep a Home not to come out in Public and Talk short of the People you elected. DR MESSIAH or whatever you call yourself, look back and tell me if you can compare Anambra of 2007-2011 and the Anambra of today. So far there has been peaceful and consistent governance, effective Law Making, accountable and transparent Judiciary and above all, With obvious success which even a little child can see except for Problem Organizers like you and your sponsors. Well i thought it wise to drop little of my words for you, i employ you to be a good citizen of your Family, Your Constituency, Your state and to our Nation Nigeria and stop letting Jobless Members in the same House of Assembly the Likes of So-Called Hon Emeka Anaebonam and his Committee of Doom, to use you in an attempt to Actualize their Evil plan. Get a Job.
LONG LIVE ANAMBRA STATE, LONG LIVE NIGERIA. ,
RE-LEGISLATIVE FLAWS IN ANAMBRA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
One will be inclined to believe that the so-called faceless article purported to have written by one Owen Ozue from Nnewi and posted on the internet should be seen as the position of those lunatics that have been leaching may helm in various parts of the state and which the present administration has successfully caged to avoid further havoc and taking the state back to the dark ages.
However, the hand of the caged lunatic who managed to pierce the cage to scribble the porous but inciting and frivolous article against the hardworking but well articulated leadership of Rt. Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili, should be a matter of serious investigation and concern. The voice appears to be that of Jacob but that destructive hand that has been in the cage for sometime now, appears to be that of Esau.
When one critically examines those frivolous allegations of Speaker Nwaebili carrying the banner of women wrongly by presiding over those that sit for only ten minutes a day, going to South Africa on holidays to spend one billion naira, are testamentary to the fact that the author is one of those who brew trouble in the state as a way of making a living.
Records show that the fifth Assembly of Anambra State House of Assembly led by the charismatic but dynamic leadership of Rt. Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili, not only passed within a year and half of its existence, more bills than previous administrations in the same, would have passed within a given period.
It is also on record, that the present Anambra State House of Assembly has remained the most peaceful State Houses of Assembly across the nation.
The question will then be asked, where in the House that sits ten minutes a day only to adjourn the next day for another ten minutes? Where is that House that falls short of its legislative challenges? Where is that House that looks another way for the executive to have its way? All these bogus but unfounded allegations are just a calculated attempt to tarnish the image and the high credibility the administration of Rt. Hon. Chinwe Nwaebili has achieved for itself, in the name of gangsterism and hooliganism. Honour should be given to whom honour is due.
Article has been written in the past on the release of thirty six million naira for the members of the State House of Assembly, to attend a training workshop in South Africa. In this present one, the enemy of progress has geometrically increased the amount to one billion naira, according to him, was spent during Jamboree in South Africa, where the members of the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker were billed to watch the Super Eagles.
Please, Mr. author of the frivolous article, can you therefore put on your thinking cap to be able to realize that thirty six million naira is not the same as one billion naira, as you alleged. What is the thirty six million naira for?, one will ask. The question was answered by the Executive in the accompanied approval letter, which is not the making of Rt. Hon. Speaker Nwaebili.
From the tone of the article, it is quite clear that the author must have known the killers of those bodies found floating at Ezu River, which he again increased astronomically to sixty. He should be interrogated for accusing Anambra State House of Assembly for have helped the Executive to sweep it under the carpet, which, according to him, would have questioned the executive arm, of the circumstances surrounding the death; and ascribing the silence of the House to that of accomplice.
For your information, “you evil hand” that have been seeking avenues to drag the state back to Egypt, it is a well known fact that you are a partner in crime with those who after squandering the ill-gotten wealth acquired during the dark ages in the state are now exploring all avenues to fix your conduit pipe again to drain the resources of the state. It is also a well known fact that the Christmas recess of the House, which stands as their annual leave, predates the Ezu River event and must not be seen to have given birth to it.
On hearing the incident, which has not been unraveled as to the culprits, the Governor and the Speaker were the first to be there hence a follow-up action were taken by the State Government to unravel the remote cause, as well as provided alternative source of water for communities affected. Where then lie the sins of the State House of Assembly led by Speaker Nwaebili?
You need to be informed also, that Speaker Nwaebili is not carrying the banner of women wrongly as you incited, rather, she is a crusader and a champion of women emancipation.
I am inclined to believe you are one of those who think that this is the world of men only and that women should be relegated to the background.
It is therefore in your own interest to look for other means of livelihood than to take to falsehood, blackmailing and harlotry with the pen, to amass ill-gotten wealth that will lead you finally to hell fire.
Fidelis Nwakwesili
Chief Press Secretary