By Anas Sani Anka
Many people wonders if there are members of the State House of Assembly. If at all they exist do they understand their constitutional responsibility as an arm of government?.
These two questions are important in defining the dynamism of the current strike action embarked often by the Nigerian Labour Congress in Zamfara.
First of all, the constitution empowers them to make legislations for the betterment of the people of Zamfara.
Secondly they are empowered by the constitution to checkmate the excesses of the executive arm of government by making sure that annual approved budget is strictly followed, contract are awarded based on due process, and brings members of the executive arm to order they derailed.
This plus other powers conferred on them by the constitution are considered as requisite ingredients that would help ensure governance based on citizens priority.
By law and by democratic values, members of the State House of Assembly are elected to represent the wishes of the people of their respective constituencies and make sure that all interests are protected regardless of political party affiliation. But this potential political value is completely missing in Zamfara.
The crises between the NLC and Zamfara State Government in my own candid opinion is caused by lack of leadership foresight of the members of the state assembly.
They are not only in competent but they don’t understand their constitutional responsibilities and this is why they cannot enforced the executive arm of government to do what the constitution empowers them to do.
In Zamfara these members of the State House of Assembly have turn their selves to mini slaves and almost worship the Governor without regret. Their ignorance of the legislative functions make them looks like house maids before a traditional king and sing the only song the Governor wants to hear.
My reasons for using these inclinations on the members of the State House of Assembly is simply because, I swear to God who made me none of them not even the speaker can have the confidence to move a motion on the floor of the state assembly and instruct the governor to come back to Zamfara within 24 hours to sit with the labour union and resolved the crises.
When their ordeal started with the Governor early this year, we the Civil Society believed the crises is a headway to resolving leadership crises in Zamfara. We supported them and joined them in the crusade.
But to our utmost dismay, immediately their monetary and personal demands were negotiated with the Governor and specifically when the Governor allegedly procured brand new cars and offer them lesser hajj seats huge sum of money the whole music has changed.
Today they cannot face the executive governor and tell him come back and settle with the members of the State House of Assembly. Why? Because, they allow themselves to be short-changed with chicken-change and today they have lost reputation from the eyes of their constituents.
Today they are watching the executive arms breaching the constitutions and several acts of the State Assembly but they cannot utter a word. They are watching the executive arms awarding contracts out of the approved budget and they cannot utter a word.
The seat of power in the state has been abandoned by the Governor and decision making and policy implementation has been shifted to Abuja the Federal Capital Territory all what they can do is to watch.
If Zamfara state is an enlighten community where their legislators knows what they are doing, they could have resolve this impending crises by now. But very funny they are all in the holy land living their state burning.
The lessons we shall learn from the mistake of electing incompetent people as legislatures are many but the most important one is come 2019, we shall resist any attempt to impose on us members of the State House of Assembly. This is where our crusade as concern citizens of the state should start.
We should forget about who became the Governor in 2019 because the distance for us to electing a governor of our choice as citizens constitute a journey that cannot be achieved from now to 2019, This is a reality we must accept.
But if we elect competent people who understand the problem of Zamfara and the process of legislation we can use their influence as legislative arm to tackle the excesses of any person who is elected governor.
It is always good to start crusade from the scratch. And I am hopeful that, at the level of the election of the state house of assembly members, we can resist pressure as citizens from our local constituents.
Finally I have shade my tears for having state legislators that cannot execute their primary responsibility of tackling the excesses of the executive arm. It is unfortunate and tragedy that calls for intensified prayers.
Allah ya agazama jihar Zamfara
By Anas Sani Anka
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