NASS And Prevailing Accommodation Problems

Prior to the advent of democracy in 1999, the nation’s leaders through the General Abdulsalaam Abubakar’s military junta that held sway between 1998 and 1999, put modalities in place for the enthronement of true and durable democratic values in the country. One of the pillars on which these democratic ethos would rest, they reasoned, should be a new befitting National Assembly complex and an adjoining quarters for the would-be distinguished and ‘honourable’ members of the Assembly.

They quickly matched words with action and built the National Assembly Complex at ‘Three Arms Zone’ – that also houses the Presidential Villa a.k.a “Aso Rock”, the Supreme Court, and later the Court of Appeal Headquarters. They went a distance away, and sited the National Assembly Quarters at Apo District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In building the National Assembly quarters, they took into cognisance the fact that 109 members would be elected to the Senate and 360 members to the House of Representatives, giving a total of four hundred and sixty nine (469) members in the two hallowed chambers of the National Assembly. Thus, you have over 469 duplexes standing at what later came to be known as ‘Apo Legislative Quarters’. For the sake of easy access, convenience and perhaps, crowd control, the quarters are divided into five zones, splashed into eight fenced complexes.

The towering Zones ‘A’ and ‘B’ occupy the first complex as you drive down the Ahmadu Bello way from the Central Business district through Garki II, and the inscription “Apo Legislative Quarters – Zone A (and) zone B” welcomes visitors to the zone. Over 90 per cent of those who live at Zone ‘A’ are senators, with less than 10 per cent Representatives  while over 90 per cent  Representatives  reside in Zone ‘B’, with fewer than 10 per cent  senators – just a road that runs from the main entrance gate to the end of the fence  separates both zones.

‘Zone C’ lies behind Zone ‘B’, with only the fence wall separating them; it is smaller in size. Zone ‘D’ is situated directly opposite Zone ‘C’ with a road that leads to the Gudu District of the FCT separating them. Zone ‘D’ has two complexes, with two main entrances. Zone ‘E’ is the termination point of the Quarters and takes off from where Zone ‘C’ ends. Like Zone ‘C’ it is also small in size, although bigger than Zone ‘C’. There is also another complex of the Quarters that lies almost opposite the Main Gate of Zone ‘A’ and Zone ‘B’.

Yes, the Quarters are built and designed in such a way that they accommodate all the 469 members of the National Assembly, with none of them having cause to squat, at the beginning!

Curiously, there is a sizeable number of non members of the National Assembly that find their way into the Quarters and become residents, occupying some of the duplexes. Most of the people in this group are top career civil servants and some ‘retired’ politicians. Although, this group is scattered across the five zones, they are pronounced in the Right Wing of Zone ‘E’ – just after the shopping complex and most of them are Northerners. This implies that the Quarters pride themselves as having ‘more than enough’ accommodation for National Assembly members.

Thus, when the first batch of Senators and Representatives were elected in the 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 Federal Constituencies in 1999, there were enough rooms to accommodate them at the official quarters, and till the end of their four-year tenure in 2003, nothing was heard about ‘accommodation problem’ for any of them. Infact, apart from accommodating themselves and their immediate families, some of them accommodated their aides! Same was the experience between 2003 and 2007, when the second batch of national legislators held sway.

Indeed, some of those who did not only have official roof over their heads and their families’ but extended same roof over the heads of their aides include, Zone A – the late Senator Ibiapuye Martins Yellowe, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and Senator David Mark (now Senate President), whose duplex shares fence with Martins Yellow’s ; Zone B – Senator John Azuta Mbata, Hon. Ike Chinwo, Hon. Emma Deeyah, Hon Igo Aguma, Hon. Andrew Uchendu and Senator Dahaltu Tafida (now Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Britain).

In Zone ‘C’, you have Senator Wilson Asinobi Ake; Zone D – Hon. Christopher Berewari (who came in, in 2007) and Zone E – Senators Lee Maeba, Ndoma  Egba, Marverick politician, Senator Arthur Nzeribe and late humane Gombe State-born politician, Senator Tumbi Wada, etc.

Suffice it to say at this point that for the first eight years of the nation’s nascent democracy (1999 – 2007), the canker-worm of homelessness’ or accommodation problem was too far in a distance to rear its head in the nation’s National Assembly’s official quarters.

Then, the unexpected happened! The federal government came up with a new policy – Monetisation Policy!

Yes, towards the end of the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo eight year tenure (1999 – 2007), the federal government introduced the now controversial monetisation policy a policy that places federal government structures and edifices on sale and that includes, of course, the Apo Legislative Quarters.

Although the serving NASS members that occupy the quarters, like all those (including civil servants) who live in government quarters see it as a good development for them as it affords them the privilege of owning the houses they occupy, many view it as a disservice a great disservice to the nation, they see it as a policy which debilitating effect would be felt by the nation sooner or later. They were apprehensive.

And true to their fears, true to their apprehension, the 2007 elected members of the NASS were rendered ‘homeless’ by the policy except, of course, those of them that have been there before the 2007 election.  Put differently, following the implementation of Obasanjo government’s monetisation policy, the distinguished members of the senate and honourable members of the House of Representatives (2003 – 2007 set), most of whom beyond doubt,  are ‘money bags,’ literally fell over themselves paying for the Apo Legislative Quarters’ accommodation! With the acquisition process duly completed, ownership was transferred from the federal government of Nigeria to these ‘elected’ representatives of the impecunious Nigerian masses!

Thus, it came to pass that when the winners of the 2007 National Assembly election (new members) arrived Abuja to begin work in their new status, they met a stone wall leading to the apartments of what was originally designed as their official residential quarters. The gates were locked against them. The unseen inscription on the gates, as it were, was “No Vacancy, please keep off’.

Anxiety, suspense, frustration, confusion and outright agony set in, with most of the new members barely, on their seats in the hallowed chambers of both Legislative Houses (and later at committee meetings). For the period that the 2007 accommodation problem lasted, the NASS members  made hotels their abode, with yet some squatting with friends and relatives! Senator Nimi Barigha – Amange (PDP, Bayelsa) was one of those hit by this ‘accommodation menace: He lodged at L’Meridien Hotel (now Nicon Luxury Hotel) at Area II, Garki, until he bought himself a house. Same  was the story of others in his shoes. Yes, they all bought houses one after the other  before eventually settling down for legislative business. But, alas, the period lost, the period they spent trying to secure accommodation, could not be recovered, and the nation, of course, was the worse for it!.

From the above, It is lucidly clear that this problem willy-nilly created by the Obasanjo government goes beyond the 2007 – 2011 set of National Legislators. It is phantomed as a recurring problem, a recurring decimal, a problem that targets new members, after every election to the NASS. It is the same problem that this new crop of legislators (2011 – 2015) are facing. Oh Alas.

This problem is here with the nation, it has come to stay and will always rear its ugly head every four years! This is the naked fact-starring  the nation in the face. Thus, come 2015, 2019, 2023, 2027, 2031, 2035, 2039 and beyond, it will re-surface, except, of cousre, the government at the centre chooses to jettision the moneitisation policy.

The way to jettison Obasanjo’s moneitisation policy that created the prevailing accommodation problem for NASS first-timers, many believe, is for the Dr Goodluck Jonathan government to come up with a counter-policy that will ensure the smooth, recovery of the Apo Legislative Quarters from the zealots that bought them (and this entails refunding the money spent on purchase and renovation or allocating them new houses or landed property elsewhere in the Federal Capital Territory. In the alternative they say, the government can embark on the construction of an entirely new legislative quarters-that will not be monetised either now or later!.

This they insist, is the way out of the woods, the way out of the current accommodation problem plaguing National Assembly members that are first timers- a problem if not nipped in the bud now could have its toll, even more, on the nation’s nascent democracy as the years go by.

Justus Awaji