Protect Our Democracy From Disaster, Amaechi Tells Reps

Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has called on the National Assembly to apply political and parliamentary activism as part of their oversight functions to protect the nation’s democracy from further disasters.
He noted that the lawmakers were voted into power to help the citizens when the need arises.
Amaechi spoke Wednesday when the Chairman, House Committee on Emergency and Disasters in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde led other members of the committee to pay a courtesy call on the governor at Government House, Port Harcourt.
According to him, “When you see the citizens not able to react, we must see how we will appraise them through some level of parliamentary and political activism. You seat in the parliament to think of ways to help the citizens, because, if the citizens are helpless, the parliament must be the avenue that the helpless can be redeemed, because that is the reason they were voted into power.
“The judiciary deployed judicial activism in 2007 when I got the Supreme Court Judgement. You can also be progressives in PDP. If the parliamentarians don’t do that, then one day, the citizens will wake up and start running for their lives. That is why you (Reps) and I (Amaechi) have the responsibility to repair the damage. We need to protect our democracy”, he said.
Amaechi tasked the lawmakers to see their responsibility as an extensive commitment that borders on economic, social and political disasters affecting the citizenry.
“I must say that, at different occasions, you have risen to defend democracy. You have a big assignment. The assignment is not only natural but also man-made disasters. The disasters include those in Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa. We are living in a disastrous country where there are disasters everywhere; there is even disaster in the revenue that we are sharing.
He said, “There is the huge disaster that you need to face, and that is the disaster of hunger. Nigerians are extremely hungry and we seem not to be responding positively to the problem of hunger, including the disaster that we are gradually dwindling from democracy to dictatorship.
While thanking the lawmakers for coming to the state to commiserate with the victims of Rumuwoji Market over the inferno that razed the market in which properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed, Amaechi appealed to the Federal Government to assist the state government in the development of the market and payment of compensation to those grossly affected by the December 17, 2013 inferno.
“So, when you go, having found time to come, I will urge you to thank Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, and ask the Speaker to expand the commitment of your committee so that you will help us address some of these disasters”, Amaechi said.
Explaining further, Amaechi noted that “I don’t know which one is more disastrous: The death of the children in Yobe, I think is more disastrous than any other disaster. If we take the Mile One Market inferno, we can all gather here and build a new Mile One Market, and also buy them their wares and products, but, we cannot buy the lives of the children who died in Yobe. All of us must rise to condemn this executive impunity and lawlessnes”..
Earlier, Chairman, House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde said, the visit was predicated on the House Resolution of Thursday, January 30th, 2014, which mandated the committee to commiserate with Governor Amaechi and the victims of Rumuwoji Market inferno in Port Harcourt.
He also said the committee will assess the level of damage caused by the inferno, taking into cognizance the statistics of the affected victims with a view to seeking redress for them from the National Emergency Management Agency which the committee has constitutional power of oversight.
The committee further commended Governor Amaechi for resolving to build a befitting Rumuwoji (Mile One) Market.
They described it as one of Amaechi administration’s outstanding achievements in terms of provision of infrastructure and democracy deliverables.
“I want to assure you that the committee will do all that is humanly possible within the confines of the law to seek adequate redress for the victims of Rumuwoji Market inferno in Port Harcourt”, he added.