The National Association of Seadogs has called on
lawmakers in the National Assembly to stop the show
of shame in the legislative chamber.
The association expressed sadness over the recent
chaos that engulfed both chambers of the National
Assembly as a result of issues bordering on sharing
of principal positions.
National President of the association, Mr. Ifeanyi
Onochie, in his reaction to the development on
Saturday in Calabar, Cross River State, described the
development as a ‘show of shame’.
Onochie, who conveyed the association’s displeasure,
wondered if this display of immaturity coming from
the National Assembly members was the change that
Nigerians voted for.
He said, “How honourable could they now be if in the
discharge of their duties of making laws for the
betterment of the society, they start exchanging
blows instead of ideas.”
Onochie explained that for Nigerians to move
forward as a nation, its elected representatives must
have the courage to distance the business of party
politics from that of governance.
He called on National Assembly members to
concentrate fully on the reasons they were sent to
the legislative Houses, amongst which was to provide
enabling laws that would guarantee quality
leadership, development and nation building.
The association urged the legislators to sheath their
swords and digest the good counsel of the Speaker,
Mr. Yakubu Dogara, when he said, “The people of
Nigeria want to hear us talk about poverty, insecurity,
unemployment and as long as the House is divided
and not united, we cannot achieve that.
“We have been down this perilous road before. I
plead with us as honourable members and as
leaders that all hands must be on deck to enable us
achieve the desired unity that will help us move this
House forward. That is the responsibility we owe.”
Seadogs consequently implored the lawmakers to
use the opportunity provided by the adjournment of
the plenary to resolve all issues and spare Nigerians
this sordid spectacle of yet again watching them turn
to lawbreakers!
Meanwhile, a member of the House of
Representatives from Ondo State, Hon. Bode
Ayorinde, has described the crisis among members
of the National Assembly as a normal thing to
happen in a gathering of different people who want
to achieve certain goals
Ayorinde, representing Owo/Ose Federal
Constituency of the state under the platform of the
All Progressive Congress, stated this on Saturday in a
chat with journalists at the Thanksgiving Service to
mark his 55th birthday in Owo, the headquarters of
Owo Local Government Area.
He said the federal lawmakers were yet to
understand one another in the legislative business
due to the fact that many of them came from
different political backgrounds to form the APC,
which later won the Presidential election and
majority of seats in the National Assembly.
He said, “I think there is a misconception of what
really happened in the National Assembly. Our party
just took over the reign of power in the country. So,
when you first marry as a new bride-groom, there is
a lining curve. We have never been in power before,
so all these are expected. Secondly, don’t forget that
the party was just one year old when we came into
power and the party is made up of five segments.
“Four parties initially merged to form the APC. Later,
a substantial part of the Peoples Democratic Party
joined, making five. We need time to understand
ourselves. I am sure in another three months, we
would have settled down. If you form a club and you
bring 30 people together and they are from different
backgrounds and different families, you don’t expect
that in the first meeting or second meeting that there
won’t be altercation, but after some time, they will
understand themselves.
“Our party will soon settle down for business. We are
getting the leaders settled and I can tell you that it is
not unexpected but it will be settled.”
The federal lawmaker, who expressed optimism that
the crisis would soon be resolved, reiterated that the
APC had better plans for the country with different
developmental policies, saying that “in the next three
month, Nigeria will be happy about us.”
“We won’t fail Nigerians. We have not started. We
have just spent one month out of 48 months. We still
have 47 months, indicating 99 per cent of the time.
Within 10 weeks when we would have spent three
months, we would have been able to satisfy
Nigerians. Hope is there that there is going to be a
change,” he said.
The legal practitioner-turned politician who also
inaugurated his Constituency Office in Owo,
promised to set up two factories – one in Owo and
another one in Ose Local Government, among other
dividends of democracy.
“We are perfecting it and very soon, we shall lay the
foundations. I promised quality representation. Very
soon, my people and Nigerians will know that Bode
Ayorinde is a member of the House of
Representatives,” Ayorinde pledged.
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