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REPS: Working for Self or the People? By Terkura Aku
I read with some tinge of sadness the news that some members of the House of Representatives who failed to secure tickets during the recently concluded PDP primaries for the National Assembly and Gubernatorial positions are calling for the impeachment of President Olusegun Obasanjo, whom they blame for their misfortunes.
I am not against anyone impeaching the President. In fact, I have always wanted the President impeached, but not in the manner the Reps want to go about it. The members of the National Assembly have always had the power to impeach the President if they find him wanting, but they have consistently failed us.
We have read in newspapers at various times, just like we’re reading now, about their attempts to do so, but each time, we get disappointed as soon as rumours make the rounds that ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bags have successfully completed their journeys of no return to the green dome. And no sooner had these rumours saturated the mills than the move would mysteriously die, lending credence to the validity of the rumours and diminishing our confidence in the credibility of our legislators.
We never get to know what the contents of those ‘Ghana-Must-Gos’ are but the rumours have always had it that it is money. No one has ever proved it, but we have come to believe the rumours because each time those bags make their trips, the issues suddenly die, no more impeachment threats. I am certain no constituency had asked any of its Representatives to collect such a bag on its behalf. Moreover, that is not why we elected them.
The sad reality we are stuck with is that these bags never make such trips to the green dome unless there is some rumbling from there. And we never have any such rumblings unless the interests of Honourable members are threatened, especially by the Executives. Many at times, these interests never bother on issues like the poor states of our roads or the acceptable standards for the radiation levels of cell phones that come into the country. Issues of interest to these Honourable Reps are never the issues affecting the people.
Now we hear some rumblings from the green dome again. But this time, it is not as a result of any issue the Executives are guilty of, even though some of them are being blamed. But it is for an issue which relationship to the Executive defies my logic. So far, we don’t know if it is because they want the ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bags to make their regular trips to the green dome to enable them refuel or for some other reasons, but we all know that the electioneering had been exhaustive, especially financially, and naturally, yours sincerely would need to ‘refuel!’ Moreover, this failure spells end of the road for some of them.
If not, how can you explain the shameless rascality with which they are calling for the impeachment of the president now, referring to a report that should have laid this matter to rest since March, if there was some honour and truth to it?
According to Newspaper reports (Punch Wed 10th Dec and Daily Independent), Alhaji Sulieman Samaila (ANPP) from Kano confirmed that some lawmakers had revived the impeachment proceedings against the President. The papers identified these lawmakers as PDP legislators who lost in the National Assembly and gubernatorial primaries.
I have no problem with the president being impeached, but I have a problem with their motives. It is simply not genuine! I remember at a time, when the third term thing was heating the country, the legislators compiled 109 impeachable offences against the President. That report never got to be used because the third term thing failed. No one ever said anything about the report as though the offences contained there in were tied to their bid to stopping the President’s agenda.
Is that what we elected them to do on our behalf at the House? Should they only remember that the President has offended the nation and must be impeached when their interests are not served? The report they are hoping to use against the President now should have been out since March 2006, but no one called for it. It is only after they lost their seats that they remembered they need to consider the report. Is this not a clear declaration of dishonour?
Obviously, no one would have ever looked at the report if they had won the primaries. It is just as well. In many ways their failing to win the primaries is a blessing for us as a people because these ‘dishonourable’ members lack the character, values, integrity and moral right to represent us in any capacity! No honest, law-abiding, value driven Nigerian should support such a move. Their action clearly shows that they are not representing anyone but themselves!
Another irresponsible action they took was stepping down all executive bills. I do not understand if the bills are serving only the President’s interests or that of the people they claim to be representing. Obviously, it does not matter to them what the bills seek to address, so long as they originated from the Executives, the country might as well crumble. Whose interest then are they representing?
If they cannot see through parochial issues, but will hold a nation to ransom for their personal interest, why should they continue to claim they are representing us? They lay claim to being called ‘Honourables’ but in every way their actions depict them as ‘Dishonourable.’
If they are truly honourable and they believe that they qualify to represent the people, why couldn’t they win the primaries? If they have problems with how they lost the primaries, should they not confront the people who chose not to vote them? Why harass Mr. President? If they truly think they’re fighting for us, why are they resorting to cheap blackmail to get the president to play ball with them? Whose interest are they serving?
Terkura Aku
32, Busa Buji Street, Jos |