How AC swept council polls in Lagos

THE performance of the lawmakers in the Benue State House of Assembly is forcing some constituents to think of recalling some of their representatives.

When the House was inaugurated by in May 2007, by the state Governor Gabriel Suswam, it was noticed that only a few members that served in the previous Assembly returned to the House. The result was that most of the members were freshmen and majority of the leadership positions in the House went to first timers.

The only second term lawmaker was the Majority Leader, Hyacinth Nyakume. The Speaker, Mr. Terseer Tsumba, a beneficiary of late political decamping in his constituency was Director General of Suswams campaign organisation. He was thrust forward, when the PDP candidate for the Buruku State Constituency, Osbed Kwaghga left for the Action Congress (AC). Tsumba stepped in to replace Kwaghga. He merged Speaker because the post was zoned to Buruku State Constituency.

The emergence of first timers Tsumba and his deputy, Williams Edor as principal officers did not look well. However, supporters of the speaker note that in the entire Jemgbagh axis, there is no second term lawmaker in the Assembly.

After the House of Assembly of 1999 and 2003, the House in 2003 to 2007 was weakened by the administration of Senator George Akume. In Akumes second term, the Assembly failed to prevail on him to dissolve local councils at the expiration of their tenure. Rather the governor sent a bill to the Assembly for the extension of tenure for the council chairmen on the premise that a council chairman was the ALGON National President.

The Assembly came under fire when it was revealed that each member had received constituency project funds of N20 million, without any commensurate development in their areas. Weeks after the constituency projects funds were received, most members merely purchased and distributed some bags fertiliser bags and some awarded scholarship to a few indigenes.

This time members of the state Assembly included in the 2008 budget N50 million for each of them as Constituency Projects Funds. Having collected N20 million each without proper utilisation, the members are set to receive another tranche later in October. The State Government would have released N1.5 billion to the 29 members of the State Assembly at the end of the day.

The lawmakers appear distracted by the huge funds available to them. So far N580 million has been released to the members who ride state-of-the-art Sports Utility vehicles, other choice cars and live in new houses in choice areas of the state capital.

Attendance in the sittings has dropped according to sources. The members of the Assembly hardly attend sittings, unless when the State Executive Council sends an Executive Bill that requires speedy approval.

Presently, no member of the Assembly has sponsored any private bill.

When The Guardian contacted the House spokesman, Mr. Dennis Abutu to comment on the controversy being generated by the failure of members to utilise the constituency projects funds, he said he was not in the best position to speak on the issue.

Efforts to speak with the Speaker were not successful. His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. John Wergba kept on assuring on the availability of the Speaker to no avail.

Members of the State House of Assembly look like they have lost touch with their constituents. The Speaker made this allusion to that fact in a speech at the one-year anniversary of the death of a youth activist, Mr. Basil Chianson at the Benue State University, Makurdi. He told the audience that he was usually tense as a result of frequent visits to his office and home by constituents.

Hyacinth Nyakuma told journalists that people expect too much from the State Assembly because there is a misconception of the role that the members are expected to play in a democracy. He said under the prevailing democratic setting, the State House of Assembly has performed in line with its mandate.

He said that most of the standing committees are working at full capacity. According to him: Our democracy is maturing with more over sight functions. The primary function of the House is law making and representation.

A former member of the Assembly, Mr. Nanevwua Uhondo believes that by receiving the N20 million Constituency Projects Funds, the House has deviated from its traditional role and is therefore embracing the role of the executive. He said that the action whittled down the ability of the House to act as a check to the excesses of the Executive.

The State Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Mr. Baba Agan traced the weakness of the House of Assembly to the members not being genuine winners of election. He pointed out that the election of most members of the Assembly were voided by the Election Petition Tribunal and are at the Appeal Court.

He said: The election of the Speaker was nullified by the State Election Tribunal. The Appeal Court on technical ground reinstated him. The appeal never contradicted the lower tribunal that the Speaker did not win his election. Other members are still fighting their cases at Appeal Court, while some are seeking compromise.

Agan said that Suswam needs a vibrant house to keep him on his toes, so that he does not succumb to the human dictatorial frailty.

He added that, there is the moral burden of the constituency funds they collected. After collecting these funds quietly, they failed to announce to us constituents and this is unfortunate. Because they are playing hide and seek with that huge fund, they cannot question any act of government on key issues. He pointed out that the main problem in the House is leadership.

Others share the view of the CNPP leader. Some think that the party imposed the leadership on them. As a result, the House members have formed a Group of 23, which had moved to change the leadership of the House due to non-performance during its first year, but the intervention of the governor saved the leadership.

The question is for how long will the governor interfere to save the state lawmakers. It is speculated that the governor as a former lawmaker is aware of the failings of the Assembly, but would prefer a toothless Assembly, than encouraging the emergence of a vibrant House due to the exigencies of politics.