Politics
Rep Advocates Sincere, Selfless Participation In Governance
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, has called for sincere and more robust participation in governance, noting that getting involved and making reasonable contributions are the right steps to making society better.
Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, made the call while speaking at an Evening of Poetry and Tributes organised by the Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation in honour of late Ogoni activist, author and environmentalist, Patrick Naagbanton held in Port Harcourt, weekend.
The federal lawmaker recalled having a discussion with the late author and environmentalist (Patrick) where he told the latter that the political space was in dire need of selfless people who wish society well.
According to him, during one of my interactions with him (Patrick), I told him that in government circles, we have very few comrades. And the few comrades that we have are not making the required impact or changes, I don’t know whether we have too much water in our mouths.
“But very sincerely, all our efforts are to change society. And I don’t believe that sitting outside, we can truly change this society. If we can, perhaps, we need to change our style to change this society.
“What I mean is to encourage people who very sincerely wish society well. People who are prepared to be selfless in their service to humanity, people who are not after material things, people who are not after bettering their own lives first before that of the people they serve, to involve in public service.
“That is the only way we can better our country. As long as we stay away from government and governance we cannot change the society. Government and governance is serious business and it requires serious minded people to be involved. It is not enough to criticize people, provide an alternative,” he stated.
Hon. Chinda, who also wrote a poem in honour of the late Ogoni activist which he read to the admiration of the gathering noted that the life of the late environmentalist reemphasises that it is not how long, but how well you live your life, saying, “The life of Patrick should impact on us positively because he lived a good life.”
He revealed that Patrick had motivated him to put something on paper even after he opened up to him that he didn’t have the flair to write a book, saying, “He told me that one thing you need to do to live a mark is not the number of houses you build, not the quantum of wealth you have, but that writing books is one thing that can live you and live your name even after you. That I should start something.
“I am presently writing a book ‘Annotation of the Rules of House of Representatives’. I expect that by the first quarter of next year, that book will be out. It is about 85 to 90 per cent done. I still attribute that (the feat) to that discussion I had with him. It was an encouragement; it is only unfortunate that he is not alive to witness the unveiling of that book,” the federal lawmaker lamented
Hon. Chinda,, a former Commissioner for Environment in Rivers State, however, said that Patrick still lives not because of the things he has left behind, though he will be dearly missed, saying, “We might be mourning, but perhaps the person who has exited is happy because he is going to live a new life, But the thing that behoves all of us is that we must be ready.”
By: Dennis Naku
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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