By Francis Otioro
Before we go into the core of this essay, let us look into the key terms of its title.
The word PAINS signifies the condition or fact of suffering or anguish (especially frantic), as opposed to pleasure. It also stands for torment, distress, sadness, grief, solicitude; an unpleasant sensation, resulting from a derangement of functions or affliction. In this write-up, the pains referred hereto are a political affliction and misnomer.
MISREPRESENTATION on the other hand connotes erroneous, unfair, dishonest, unaccountable, false, unfaithful and faulty representation.
I will however, restrict myself and the tentacle of this write-up to Urue Offong/ Oruko representative, Hon. Asuquo Edet Archibong (Sharp poison). We shall make an independent appraisal of his performance so far at the floor of the house.
Some of the designated functions of the State House of Assembly include:
• LAW MAKING: Principally, the state House of Assembly is obligated to make laws in order to ensure peace, order and good governance in the State, in respect to matters that are not in the exclusive legislative list, but in concurrent list.
It could also legislate on other matters in which the constitution empowers it. I doubt if Hon. Archibong is enlightened enough to fathom the sensitivity of the representation task he is supposed to undertake as the “Mouth Piece” of the good people of Urue-Offong/Oruko.
• REPRESENTATIVE FUNCTION: Membership of the State House of Assembly is based on constituency arrangement for effective representation of the populace.
Each member therefore, represents a section of a people in the State (constituents) for avoidance of marginalization in the scheme of things. Hon Archibong represents neither constituency nor his party interest.
• DELIBERATIVE FUNCTION: Before any bill is passed into law, or a resolution taken on any matter before the house, members must procedurally, engage in a careful and meticulous deliberation of all facts therein to arrive at definite and worthy decisions.
Hon. Archibong has done nothing next to sponsoring any bill or even making any meaningful contribution during deliberation.
• OVERSIGHT INVESTIGATIVE FUNCTIONS: This function is contained in section 88 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria. Here, the State House of Assembly is empowered to carry out investigations within its competence to prevent and expose corruption, inefficient or waste in execution or administration of laws.
It is empowered to procure evidence – written or oral, direct or circumstantial as it may be deemed necessary and also to examine any witness whose evidence may be material to subject matter.
The primary aim of this function is to promote efficiency, transparency, and due process in the running of the affairs of the State. This is a thoroughfare for Hon. Archibong.
• CONSTITUENCY BRIEFING/PROJECT AND EMPOWERMENT: The Greek philosopher Aristotle averred that State exists for the greater good of humanity.
In Nigeria, the constituency project came around in response to the yearnings of the constituents for development.
Since the inception of the constituency funds in Nigeria, there have been misconceptions, misinterpretation, mismanagement and judgement of the constituency project administration.
This and indeed some other factors have given rise to corruption among our representatives. Democracy on the other hand gives the masses the opportunity to determine how they are governed.
It is high time the electorates looked up to their representatives for briefing on how the constituency funds are managed. Representatives are also expected to empower members of their constituency in various capacities such as trade, education, special training and skill acquisition etc. Any representative, who fails in this regard, is totally below standard.
HON ASUQUO EDET ARCHIBONG IN VIEW
Hon. Asuquo Edet Archibong is the member representing Urue Offong/ Oruko State Constituency elected under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). It is worthy of note that his emergence was possible primarily because of PDP’s imposition of candidate and gross impunity.
Simply say that he was elected on the ground of annoyance and sympathy which turns out to be the greatest mistake that the good people of Urue Offong/Oruko have ever made.
Judging from the aforementioned functions of the State House, Hon. Archibong is found wanting in all ramifications. In the list of non-performing House Members, he is found at the top because of his incompetence, novelty, incapacity and his educational backwardness.
This is one man who has never done anything close to seconding a motion in the floor of the house since elected.
He can be best described as a SLEEPING PSEUDO-REPRESENTATIVE. Hon Asuquo Edet Archibong’s representation is a total insult on our heritage as a Local government that was once known for academic excellence in Oro Nation particularly, and Akwa Ibom State in general.
How will one hear that the Local government that once showed-off academic gurus such as: Distinguished Professor Enyenihi, Sir Edet Amana, the Late Professor Okon Edet Uya, the Late Dr. Mfon Amana, Dr. E. E. B. Edunam etc. now wallows in gross misrepresentation from a more or less societal unconscious individual? Why would the aforementioned academia be represented by a stark academic cum mental illiterate and a corporate tout – someone who cannot make one good sentence in the English Language? The truth is that he ought not to be there. Have we deteriorated to this extent of decay? This is truly worrisome!
Painful as it may be, it is so pathetic that this same misfit of a representative is nursing a second term ambition – what an insult to the people of Urue-Offong/Oruko! What single impact has Sharp Poison created in the lives of the people he (so-said) represents? This is the same person who has used the constituency project fund to acquire a modern mansion at Eket within a year in office.
What he does is to boastfully take some hungry youths who have no plans and interest for their future to his newly bought Eket mansion (the same mansion bought with twenty five million naira which he also claims to have used five million naira to renovate), buys alcohol for them and sents them home drunk.
A fair mathematician could simply know how many people thirty million (N30, 000,000) could sponsor educationally to at least first degree level. It is sad to note that most of the aforementioned educational gurus went to school on scholarship.
Isn’t it more saddening to imagine that our would-have-been Professors, educational and medical Doctors, Engineers etc are roaming the streets drinking and smoking away their future because of the callousness and selfishness of evil representation?
This single irresponsible act reveals how educationally blind and foresight-less a self-styled representative who already owns two houses could be.
This is someone who deceptively promised to conduct empowerment and give out ten cars alongside education aids to students within his first three months in office at the course of his campaign. But now what have we seen? A hotelier who barely stays at home or in office.
The good people of Urue Offong/Oruko should also know that whereas other representatives have accounts on social media (especially facebook), Hon. Archibong once boastfully and blatantly told me that the worst anyone can do is to criticize him on social media where he doesn’t even have an account.
Have we seen the level of primitiveness our representative is still living in? This act tantamount to turning his back on the plea and agitations of the people he is ‘representing’.
The worst that can befall a people is having a representative who cannot be accountable to them – this is worse than staying without any mouth piece.
I hereby use this medium to face up to whosoever knows Hon. Asuquo Edet Archibong to ask him to come up with a constituency briefing in order to tell the good people of Urue Offong/Oruko what he has done with our funds, or I will write to an anti graft agency to investigate his gross misappropriation of the people’s funds for according to Wole Soyinka, “The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny”.
God bless Urue-Offong/Oruko Local Government Area.
God bless Oro Nation
God bless Akwa Ibom State
Francis Otioro is a public affairs analyst, a contemporary writer an activist in his own capacity.
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