PUBLISHER'S COLUNM: 'ANGELS' IN IMO HOUSE

I have watched with keen interest certain developments in Imo State and I exclaimed to myself that the angels may have found a safe haven in the hallowed chambers of the Imo State House of Assembly. When a situation changes from bad to good, as Christians we assume it is a good omen, a new dawn and a new beginning.  We say it is a sign of good things to come.

My above postulation reflects the ongoing positive development taking place in the State legislature. Some of us who have monitored closely activities of the present elected lawmakers had expressed discomfort over the seeming dull posture of the House of Assembly in recent times.  A situation where our Assemblymen and women easily pass into law Bills from the Executives has compelled positive thinking Imolites to wonder if the Imo State House of Assembly is a plaything of the Executives.   We have seen a House of Assembly that panders easily to the dictates of the Executives under the canopy of Legislative/Executive harmony. We have seen a House that took time to locate its relevance in a democratic setting. A House that was not assertive.  

 What we have seen is an Executive and a Legislature in the State that is butter and bread with each other turning a blind eye to their misdeeds.

Though proponents of modern democracy identify a harmonious working relationship between both arms of government as a vital tool for the provision of dividends of democracy to the people, it is also imperative that both organs of governance put a check and balance on each other. And when such checks are missing, we wonder what business they have to govern us. We wonder if Imo State is not unfortunate. We have seen such ‘harmonious relationship’ between both Arms of government in Imo State, especially since the inception of the present Administration. At the same time, eyebrows are raised why the State legislature should look the other way over some actions of the Executives widely considered not to be in the interest of the people of the State.   

However, a new dawn appears to be in the offing. The angels seem to have spoken to the conscience of our lawmakers as recent bold actions of members of the House of Assembly are something to cheer about. It calls for temporary celebrations.  When an institution of Government begins to live up to expectation or fulfil its constitutional role and functions, it does not only attract commendations but reposes the confidence of the people on such institutions.  Students of political science argue that functional, vibrant and responsive democratic institutions are the bedrock for a flourishing democracy and when this is absent, the people who are the ultimate benefactors murmur and suffer.  

However, I am tempted to agree that the angels have come to the Imo House of Assembly. In otherwords, the Benjamin Uwajumougu led House have woken up from slumber. The sleeping House have woken up from its sleep. Its actions lately have shown that it is tired of being branded a rubber stamp and based on this; it has resolved to turn a new leaf.  

Last week, the House in a rare move, resolved to invite the Deputy Governor of the State, Sir Jude Agbaso to explain what has happened to the roads which the Executives aggressively constructed across the State. Not done yet, it directed the Commissioner of Finance, Chike Okafor, to cease forthwith further payments to contractors said to have constructed such roads. It also invited the Finance Commissioner to appear before it to make clarifications on issues believed to be bordering on payments to contractors.

Before I proceed, I must say that I cannot align but rather listen to the submissions of several schools of thought who have offered diverse and different interpretations to the latest posture of our Assemblymen and women. And I must say that there could be element of truth in their assessment of the new found behaviour of the legislature in the State.   In Imo, anything is politically or legislatively possible, abi

UWAJUMUOGU

This School contends that the invitation of the Deputy Governor by the House of Assembly is opposite of what some of us perceive of the entire scenario. They say it is a mere drama produced by the legislature, a camouflage to portray a picture that they (lawmakers) are not Okorocha’s errand boys who come to him to have a taste of the crumbs that fall from his table.   Some say it is a hit back strategy on the Deputy Governor by the House members who have fumed over their exclusion in the entire roads construction jamboree in the State. There is also the belief that the invitation is politically motivated aimed at settling political scores that borders on the 2015 elections.  Some also contend that the entire scenario is stage managed by the members to create a false impression to Imolites that they are not dummies and are not working in hand in gloves with the Executives over certain actions.   

I will say only the angels know what is hidden in the hearts of men!  My take is whatever is the motive that prompted the invitation of the State’s number two citizen by the House members on a serious issue such as the roads revolution embarked on by the Okorocha Administration is a welcome development. It is a departure from the past where the House members in their wildest dreams will dare not invite a high ranking official of the Okorocha Administration to appear before it. I stand to be corrected when a Commissioner or a Director General of a State Government Agency was queried by the House over an issue. Therefore, if the angels have touched the hearts of Uwajumuogu’s men to rise and be accountable to the people who voted them into office, then the House members deserve accolades for taking up the Deputy Governor on some of the shoddy jobs done by some contractors on the roads embarked upon by the present Administration.

The bitter truth is that some of the new roads are in sorry condition barely few months after its construction. It has degenerated from bad to worse. Some have developed bumps and pot holes, thus puts a question mark on the quality of roads constructed by these contractors. It also exposes what calibre of contractors the State Government engaged to construct our roads. In some cases, some streets in Owerri have become flood enclaves because such roads were shabbily and poorly constructed. We have heard tales of how some of the contractors that were contracted to construct such roads had no record or experience in road design, construction and maintenance. We also heard that Due Process was never followed in the award of such contracts of roads.  Infact, we heard various cock and bull stories about the roads.  And funny enough, there was no official statement from Government either confirming or denying these allegations.  Rather we were told that efforts are on to aggressively repair such roads when the dry season set in. What a lame defence that holds no water!

Therefore I am delighted that the Imo House Assembly deemed it appropriate to invite those concerned in the Executive Arm of Government to explain why some of the roads that we hailed Okorocha for had degenerated to a bad condition within a short period.   The House has taken a right step in the right direction.

I have severally advised some of my friends in this government (though a friend in government is a lost friend) to ensure that the Okorocha Administration benefits from the inherent political gain of the new roads it constructed. Sometimes, I wonder why the State Government wants to squander the political gain that will trail such construction of roads in the State.

 And I humbly submit that how they manage or mismanage the political gains of these roads will manifest in 2015 when Imolites will go to the polls to decide the political direction of the State. I pointed out that Governor Okorocha should not be ‘carried away’ with the cheers and hailing that trails some of his actions. The electorate in Imo is slippery and unpredictable.  They lament a lot and a society that laments is a sophisticated one.  It is only a responsive government that aligns itself with such an enlightened and sophisticated electorate by ensuring that the right things are done at the right time earns their confidence and trust.

I must point out that across the world; the success recorded in various sectors of the economy is the chief factor that catapults any administration for a second term in office. It is the key to the happiness of the people. Much as I score Governor Okorocha high in terms of provision of public infrastructure in the State, the road sub sector is one sector that has elicited diverse opinions and perception from the sophisticated Imo electorate.  And it is on this premise that I salute the Imo State House of Assembly. I believe that the angels that have come into the House and opposed the lukewarm manner it has played its role in the present dispensation, will also whisper to the conscience of our lawmakers to look into some policies of government that calls for its attention or intervention.  I believe that the angels that have spoken to our distinguished lawmakers will tell them that in a democracy, only a robust legislature alive to its responsibilities guarantees good governance for everyone. Only a legislature that dares the Executives and resist its crumbs can effectively play its role in a democratic setting.   

Our present lawmakers should realise that performing its constitutional role is not a sin.  Refusing to dance to the rhythm from the drumbeats of the Executives does not in anyway erode the fact that they are not partners in the collective search for a prosperous Imo State. What is important is that their actions are geared towards ensuring the good of the people.  We expect such legislative aggression from our lawmakers. Inviting the Deputy Governor to explain grey areas involved in road constructions in the State should be the beginning of the resolve of the House members to turn a new leaf. We expect more of such legislative alertness.