By Aniekan Udoh
Call it retribution, vendetta or anger, none of these fits into what has just happened in the Akwa
Ibom State House of Assembly. Every organization must embrace change
either to make progress or retrogress in its aims and objectives. Read and see pictures as shared after the cut...
Today, members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly have made a long overdue change to reset the State Assembly on the path of honour.
Recall that since the emergence of Rt. Hon.(Barr.) Onofiok Luke as the Speaker of the sixth Assembly, the 39-year-old Speaker has worked with the heads and members of committees he met on ground despite earlier calls in some quarters that the committees be disbanded especially at a time that their sense of commitment to duty had waned terribly.
The Speaker, who is never known to be tribalised or selfish in his actions, refused the pressure and allowed the status quo remain. Based on law of reciprocity, every stakeholder in the politics of the state had naturally expected these committee heads and members to show cooperation in running the affairs of the House.
But instead of a show of commitment, rancor was what we kept reading about from the House. Some of them suddenly became principalities who believed the Speaker should only take their instructions and do as the former person did.
For instance, multiple credible sources said that during the days of his predecessor, these principalities used to compel the then Speaker to get monthly settlements to the tune of N35m from the executive before any assignment was carried out by the House.
But when Luke came on board, he not only brought an end to the debilitating practice but also disbanded the cabal of self-made principalities.
I am aware that this was done on the grounds that amidst dwindling resources, it was unfair to the state for people to drain government of resources which should have been channelled to the services of Akwa Ibom people. He considered the demand for monetary .
While the Speaker thought they all came to serve the voiceless and make sacrifices for the masses to benefit from the dividends of democracy, he never knew some people came to make money-this was the beginning of insubordination in the House by these principalities.
Many times these cabal had decided to embarrass the Sixth Assembly by leaking out sensitive documents to the public, refuse carrying out their committees' duties thereby thereby dragging the progress of the House.
I do not think that today's decision to throw them out of the executive is never a pay back but a move to sanitize the State Assembly for the needed progress to occur.
By taking the bull by the horn, the PDP members in the House deserve commendation for removing the usually considered “untouchable lawmaker” from the Governor’s state constituency.
This is a strong demonstration of courage and fearlessness. It shows the Sixth Assembly is not in anybody’s pocket as sometimes speculated by some self-made critics.
It is not unexpected that some myopic attributes will be made of the removal of these recalcitrant officers, such as linking it to the recently opposed Real Property Bill which most of the members supported. But truth remains that the beauty of lawmaking is in intellectual challenge and opposition.
It would be recalled that on several occasions, lawmakers have refused to consider Barr. Onofiok Luke's motion and bills. The Speaker’s bill on Primary Health Care Scheme is still at the committee level after public hearing yet nobody is raising issues. Therefore, it is normal and natural for lawmakers to oppose themselves.
To the newly appointed committee heads and members, the challenge is before you all to demonstrate excellence in all your assigned duties in order to bring the Sixth Assembly to the expected level. Welcome on board!
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