Senate, Reps Should Partner –Sodangi

Moving Nigeria forward’ is the message on the lips of all well-meaning Nigerians, especially with the successful inauguration of President Goodluck Jonathan on May 29, which marks the transition to a new era in the country’s journey to self sustenance and reliance.

Although much is expected from the executive in this regard, without the commensurate exploits by the legislature and judiciary, this lofty national dream will remain a mirage. This is why many believe the legislative and judicial arms of government should not only see themselves as performing but should be seen by Nigerians in this new dispensation as working to move Nigeria forward, rather than for personal aggrandisement or filthy lucre’.

For the legislature, a leading voice in the Senate, three-time Senator and outgoing Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Abubakar Sodangi, said it cannot afford to do otherwise.

Sodangi, a highly-reserved and reputable Senator, told The Tide in an interview in Abuja that the legislature cannot afford to fail the nation as Nigeria transits to a new dispensation and advised members of the 7th National Assembly (2011 – 2015) to work as a team.

“I wouldn’t like to draw a road map for them every legislator will come with their individual vision and of what they want to do to make impact – however, co-operation within themselves is paramount. I’m talking of the Senate and House of Representatives. They should partner together. If there is cordial relationship, they will surely move the country economically and politically forward”, he said.

Sodangi, who has been representing Nassarawa West Senatorial District in the upper legislative chamber since 1999, said he was speaking from his wealth of experience that spanned across twelve years, adding that apart from ensuring that there is no friction between both chambers of the National Assembly but cordiality, in the overall interest of the nation. Another area the 7th National Assembly should focus on is leadership of both Houses because, as he puts it, leadership has a lot to do with dynamism in law-making. “The dynamism of making law is leadership”, he enthused. He applauded the candor of Senate President, David Mark, describing him as a man “that has handled so many responsibilities in the National Assembly” thus, would bring his experience to bear in the 7th Senate.

However, he said there are some aspects of law-making, which is legislators’ primary assignment, that he would like to draw the new National Assembly’s attention to. His words, “There are areas that I only want to appeal. Some laws require amendment … if the law is obnoxious, you (they) can always do away with that”. By so doing, he believes that the process of moving the nation forward would be facilitated, reminding them that like every Nigerian, they have only one country.

The committee on FCT which Sodangi chaired in the Senate is very strategic and one of the most important committees. The Tide asked Sodangi how the committee had fared under him, in the 6th Senate? His answer comes readily. “They need good roads, water, security of lives and property, provision of jobs. Every year we work on the budget of the FCT … and give the people hope”, adding “I know as a matter of practice and convention, the Senate Committee on FCT derives its power from the Constitution and takes care of national budget. In doing our oversight functions, we ensure basic infrastructure are provided in the FCT”.

Pointing to infrastructural development, including provision of water in places like Abaji, Kwali and Kuje as well as massive multiple road projects at Kubwa Expressway and Airport Road, and the completion of fly-over at A.Y.A. roundabout and Gwarimpa, among what he calls “so many projects site” in the FCT, Sodangi, a Barrister-at-Law, who practiced for nineteen years before contesting and winning election into the Senate said, “you have to give (provide) water, light, all these things and try to follow-up the budget (so as) to actualise these projects”.

The committee, he said, worked with ministers of FCT, including the incumbent, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to sanitise the capital city by ensuring that areas like refuse collection and places like Lower Usman Dam received due attention as well as ensure that the law banning prostitution on Abuja roads remain in force, wondering why “easy virtue women that have been embarrassing yourselves, embarrassing your human values, embarrassing the nation” should descend so low!

The three-time Senator said that there are still many, very many “things that could be done to boost tourism in the nation’s capital and make it the tourist centre of Africa”, one of such is ‘another big project’ the Federal Government is trying to embark upon – a tower! “That tower, I’ve climbed that tower, you’ll see everywhere, every place (in Abuja); it’s about 100 meters above sea level; it’s also meant to serve as restaurant – the top of it, if you climb there, you could have your meal and it will be rotating – rotational movement and you’ll be seeing the whole Abuja, so these are the kind of things that should be put in place in making Abuja Africa’s tourist centre and world class city”.

In addition, Senator Sodangi points to the structures in Abuja, like the National Christian (Ecumenical) Centre, National Mosque and National Assembly, etc which parade architectural splendor and expertise as well as the hills, rocks, landscape, river and other tourists attractions of Abuja, saying “… so many national endowments – if they’re harnessed and made tourism attractions, Abuja will be the tourists centre to beat in Africa”.

The whole essence of representation is to impact positively on the lives of one’s constituents, primarily. To what extent did Senator Sodangi achieve this. He told The Tide that he has sunk over seventy boreholes, some of which are very visible in Keffi and Nassarawa towns (his constituency); awarded scholarships to indigent students and to some of those who otherwise couldn’t have gone to school due to their parents’ inability to train them as well as provided healthcare to several others through establishment of a health centre in his home town and picking his constituents bills in various hospitals in Nassarawa and Kaduna States, Abuja, etc, among sundry assistance rendered.

Sodangi was emphatic that as a result of the various ways he has touched people’s lives in his twelve years in the Senate, “there’s no town that I’ll go to in this Nigeria that you’ll not see people troop out and say ‘you’re our father! (Simple acknowledgement). I’ve built schools and trained people and their fathers are very grateful for that. My joy in this is: giving help to people who are not privileged, who cannot afford to go to school”.

The three-time senator who in the wake of campaigns for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries early in the year raised alarm over the pulling down of his billboards and destruction of his campaign posters in his Nassarawa West Senatorial District by supporters of his opponents, would not want to be dragged into comments on the primaries  which he lost to the former governor of his state, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu (who moved on to win the election to the Senate), but merely says, “those (supporters of opponents) creating problems for politicians, I leave them to God. They’ll get themselves to know whether what they have done or what they did is good or not. I have represented them three times”.

He continued: “I don’t believe in bringing in people from other states or constituencies to enable me win an election. I can’t do that! On the primary, whether I was cheated or whether I did well, I’ve put that behind me”.

He said he would want to be remembered by his people for the services he rendered as their senator and for the diverse ways he touched their lives. For now, he said, he had dust up his law books and was retiring to his Sondangi A & Co Chambers at Garki II, Abuja to rejoin his junior colleagues at the chamber for his flourishing law practice, being a “first generation” legal practitioner in Abuja i.e. one of those that started the legal practice in the FCT.

Howbeit, he said, “I am available to my party – PDP. If they say, “come and become ‘assistant secretary or chairman of the party … or go and do this or that, or if my (state) governor (where, he wins at the Election Petition Tribunal) says come and be my whatever, I’ll be available’. Also if my President (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) calls me to be my whatever; I’ll be available to contribute  my quota to nation building”.

Senator Sodangi further told The Tide that, while outside the Senate, he will not abandon the ideas and norms that he is known for. “I will continue like that – I will always uphold human values. I’ve done that before. I will always say (point out) what is wrong – whether it is from anywhere. I will always say the truth and stand by the truth”.

Justus Awaji