House of Representatives members serve their pockets

The argument put forward by the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi, regarding the procurement of 360 Sports Utility Vehicles is heartbreaking. In the statement he issued on Sunday, the lawmaker representing Ekiti North 1 (Ikole/Oye) Federal Constituency displayed as much arrogance as he displayed ignorance. Nigeria deserves better than those elected to serve them.

First, Rotimi justified the purchase of vehicles worth between N160m and N200m when millions of Nigerians were destitute even by the book. His press release revealed that the House of Reps must purchase a pool of such vehicles every four years. Given the giveaway prices that legislators can predictably obtain these vehicles because of the government’s asset-deboarding policy, one can hazard a guess that every member would prefer to retain the vehicles. So, we must buy new vehicles every time new members enter the chambers.

Let us assume without conceding that this expensive routine is necessary for the legislature to function effectively, the question arises: are there no cheaper alternatives?

For instance, there is at least one car manufacturing company in Nigeria. What about purchasing cars from such companies? By doing so, these men and women, charged with the responsibility of making life easier for Nigerians, would be boosting the country’s economy by improving productivity and possibly creating more jobs. Such consideration is even more expedient at this time when the country is in dire need of foreign exchange. At this time, members of the National Assembly will purchase over 400 luxury cars and boost the economy of some far more economically comfortable country.

Secondly, if these vehicles are strictly meant for the oversight functions of legislators, as Mr Rotimi would have us believe; wouldn’t the purchase of buses have been more sensible in the circumstances?

Rotimi also exhibited the arrogance of power we often get from people like him in his press release. While acknowledging that he and his friends at the House of Reps felt that they owed Nigerians an explanation in the matter, all he did was confirm the speculations that these vehicles were being purchased despite Nigeria currently in economic dire straits. But he only disclosed without disclosing. The statement disclaimed the N200m cost placed on each car in social media, but it refused to tell Nigerians their actual cost. Such selective transparency ultimately amounts to opacity. The people who elected these lawmakers deserve nothing more than absolute transparency, and teasing them with token information signposts the contempt with which they hold the electorate.

One of the most unfortunate consequences of Rotimi’s Sunday intervention was his display of the remit of the House of Reps. He said, among other things, in his statement: “It is also not peculiar to the legislature, as unelected government officials in the executive arm of government from director level and above, in most cases, have official vehicles attached to their offices.” Maybe he is right. However, when did the executive become the standard by which the National Assembly or any legislator should measure itself?

At that point, it became clear that many of the characters in the National Assembly aspire to this office just to get a piece of the national cake. They neither have ideas about the import of their office nor do they care. Why do I say this?

To my mind, the 1999 Constitution makes the legislature the most critical arm of government in Nigeria. It is like the anchor that holds the vessel from drifting. With the powers to make “laws for the peace, order and good governance of the federation or any part thereof…” granted by the constitution and the powers to conduct investigations, otherwise known as oversight, given by Section 88, the National Assembly stands in the best position to ensure the fulfilment of chapter two (Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy) of the 1999 Constitution. They make the laws that enable the executive and judiciary to function, and they are also granted the powers to monitor the effectiveness of these laws, query their implementation in the case of the executive, and review the laws when the desired impact is not achieved. So, what has happened to the National Assembly since 1999? Why is it just waking up now?

So, members of the executive, elected or not, can be excused for doing whatever they like since the constitution provides checks and balances from the power vested in the National Assembly. When the institution with the power to check the excesses of another arm of government now justifies its actions by the performance of those it should oversee, you should know there is trouble. What Rotimi said to us in that part of his statement is that, regardless of what Nigerians are going through, members of the National Assembly must satiate their exotic and greedy taste because the “unelected government officials” of the executive do it.

I found it interesting that he mentioned “unelected.” Mr Rotimi should know that the fact that he and his colleagues were elected imposes more duty of care and a higher standard of accountability on them. While unelected people can run riot and exploit the reign of impunity in the country, people like Rotimi, who sought and obtained the people’s mandate, owe the people and the country absolute diligence and responsibility. It is tragic that our legislators do not know or pretend not to know this.

What is worse is that neither upbringing nor party affiliation distinguishes these legislators. Membership of the National Assembly currently comprises members of at least six parties. These include the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, and the Labour Party. Sadly, we have all these parties, and they are on the same page about this decision that shows the insensitivity of our leaders.

The only inference we can draw from this is that the entire political class does not have the interest of Nigerians. Nigeria would possibly not be in the present state where people are ravaged by hunger and illiteracy were the National Assembly single-minded in its oversight function. But compromises, mostly hinged on personal aggrandisement, led to dereliction of duties to the detriment of the national economy and the people. An immediate example is the treatment of ways and means provisions under the last administration.

Nigerian parliamentarians are beginning to parade as people’s enemies without realising it. But they must realise that even though more people become more impoverished daily, they are not stupid. So, they must change their disposition promptly. For a country that borrows to fund its budget and even service its debts, Nigeria deserves more than legislators who carry on prodigiously with little care for the present and future of its people. Continuing with this wickedness is the easiest way to incur the people’s wrath. Our politicians must avoid that by every means possible.

X:@niranadedokun