NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND THE PEOPLES’ LOUD SILENCE

I really do not know how these events may be handled if and when they occur. But the signs are there that they are just waiting to happen. The former president of the country has predicted it despite him being a major participant in the developing scenarios. Chief Obasanjo was too quick to exhonotate himself of the wrongs being inflicted on the populace by the current government of President Goodluck E. Jonathan. As the main actor in the field of play, how can he pretend to have fought corruption? It is too early in the day for him to speak. This is an issue for another day though, but I am happy that he is been given his dose of his own medicine in clear language going by reactions from the press and opinion leaders in the country.

We are back to the state of imprudent financial management in the National Assembly even as the Dimeji Bankole saga is still unfolding. Let me fire kudos to the President His Excellency Dr. Goodkuck Jonathan who has started right by using corruption index of ministerial nominee as one of yardsticks for approving the long list of political applicants. While the president was on recess at Obudu, Cross River state, yours sincerely requested him to invest some time in considering the options open to him and frontally asked that defeated candidates in the last election should not be considered for any serious political office. I suggested that the ministers should be appointed based on their merit and knowledge first, then serious consideration should be given to how each of them could key into his vision of a new Nigeria. Again, I suggested that his appointments should come fast so that each of them can start in earnest at their duties posts knowing that the president has promised the nation a four (4) years – one term reign. The first ideas seem to be on course, but the pace is on the slow side. But the reason for this writing is the sleepless night we are beginning to have in the face of the pronouncement that the National Assembly salary is due again for an upward review when the Governors forum just announced that they cannot pay the minimum wage of paltry N18,000.00 in the face of hunger in the land!

Somewhere inside of me, I remain happy that the expectations of the common man are gradually taking shape given the results of the last general elections. The election conducted by Professor Attahiru Jega, frustrated many doubting Thomases. By and large, it reduced the number old members in both houses by more than half, and with the arrival of more persons of integrity, the signs are there to show that the new national assembly promises to be vibrant and explosive. That has been demonstrated at the election of the Speaker of the House of Representative.

Few weeks ago, efforts were made to cast a spell again on the people with the mooted attempt to get an upward review of the National Assembly members' salaries and remuneration. I would not know if they were flying a kite, but I was happy at the response from the podium and the press. The only major issue here is that the press and the people together have been shouting hoax to deaf and dumb entities. It is as if they do not hear loud cries in the dome. By the last count, the about 400 hundred men and women have been discovered to be earning about N185million each annually or N740million in each of the four years they have covered! These they achieve in less than 180 day of work! I swear that more than twenty percent of the members of the house would have had less than 40% appearance too. What a great return on investment! The next question is how many of our legislators had businesses with N100million return on investment before heading for the National Assembly? Hardly any! Can we see why many have been rigging, killing and doing all obscene things only to get there and belong? Going by the available statistics, the salary of an assembly man is able to pay the minimum wage being agitated for by labour (N18,000.00) of 841 civil servants, seven managers, 217 senior civil servants, 85 Doctor not to mention senior military officers per annum. In fact they earn more than the President of the first country of the world America! All of these in an economy where 80% of the population earn less than N300 per day, and all buy the same Fish, Tomatoes, Mellon, Rice, Oil and other items from the same market; pay water, electricity and other rates to the same agencies! We must say no to the looting of the treasury in the name of democracy!

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has told the nation that the jumbo pay being received by the national assembly members is a fraud. They went further to inform the public that the monthly emolument of a senator is N1.06m or N12.7million/annum, and that of the House of Representative member N794,000 per month or N8.88million /annum respectively. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi the Central Bank Governor, told us some time ago that these 400 man and women eat up 25% of the soul and spirit of the over 150million people in this most populous black nation. He was asked to apologise, but the man was adamant even at the risk of loosing his job, knowing that he was dealing with the facts and figures. After that, the assembly went ahead to have yet another increase. The journalist quaked but all the noise ended in the waste bin. Then it was election time and to buy votes, every aspiring governorship candidates quickly approved the N18, 000.00/month minimum wage. No sooner than they were sworn in, that they started reneging on their promises and began to give conditional approvals. As l write, the states through their governors' forum have shifted the goal post to the presidency and l am doubtful if the call will be heeded. It is just not possible for the president whose programme did not include additional pay rise to do so to its own peril by increasing the fuel price.

I think that there is a determined effort to make the President unpopular. If all these years no government succeeded in negotiating the removal of fuel subsidy, why is GEJ being asked to do so? Fuel subsidy removal has remained one of the ugliest options for our governments. Obasanjo tried it through the back door on the eve of his departure from Aso Rock in 2007 but the attempt was thwarted by late president Yar'adua. The reason being that all increase in fuel price came with a promise to better the lot of the people from the gains of the removed subsidy. But to date, there has been no justification by way of improved service in any sector of the economy. Power has remained epileptic, roads are impassable, schools have no libraries and functional laboratories or quality teachers, hospitals have no drugs and have remained consulting clinics, insecurity in the land know no bound and the list goes on.

Our labor unions and leaders should begin to sensitize their members for a show down with the governors having been taken for granted through their failed promises. It is unacceptable that when issues are discussed for the benefit of the common man the goal posts are regularly shifted, while on the other hand, same is not the case with our law makers who are supposed to represent our interest first, but are served best with us groaning. At the time of electoral promises, no body tied the new salary increase to possibility of any even occurring.

The National Assembly must know that the people are weary of the developments in the dome and are not happy. The people are watching events snow balling to street protests around the world and the reasons why. People must be foolish to assume that such event cannot happen in Nigeria. It can, and will if propelled to. It is callous for an extremely insignificant few to hold on to the nation's wealth and distribute it among themselves with impunity in the face of abject poverty and expects that nothing happens. It will simply be a miracle. The same persons award themselves choice contract ensuring that money is moving just around the same group of persons and impoverishing most.

Finally, it is alright to take a people for granted some of the time. But if in consideration they are ignored and taken for granted all of the time, some of the significant happenstances around the world today shall not be far from the leadership. Hurricane Mubarrak is still sweeping through Egypt after that of Ben Ali in Tunisia. Currently, Libyan Mummar Gaddafi is on a very hot seat he never bargained for, and the result is imminent. Shall our leaders wait for the explosion of the silent majority before they learn sufficient lesson? It may be too late. A word is enough for the wise. I wish the 7th Assembly good luck. May wisdom be your guide.


Mike O. Akpati is a Public Affair Analyst Based in Port Harcourt.


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Articles by Mike O. Akpati