The Senate & The Issue Of Retirement Plan: A Case Of Abia State By Kalu Nwokoro Idika

Resistance/confrontational journalism sorrowfully died in order to make way for brown envelope journalism; where many pen warriors have some sort of surreptitious pocket affinity with the governorate, who has grabbed them by the lapels. This is not to say that the truth has died. No. Rather, it entails that current issues may not be well addressed as they ought to be.
The kind of civic unrest faced daily in Nigeria should, as a matter of national importance, inspire and refine men and women, who will fight, incubate and nurture divergent political views, even create a mutiny, because to be silent is to be dead. For all are on this capsizing ship, and to do nothing is evil enough. The Nigerian senate is debased; a slap to what constitute a lawmaking chamber. How can positive governance come from the bills they pass when they themselves are recycled scoundrels?

The law that a buyer is solely responsible for ensuring that his purchase works properly is over looked in Nigeria. It is more of a situation where leaders offer what they want, and the electorate dare not demand more. If you do, you do so at the pain of death. What if the pen decides to be weaker than the sword? What if those who should talk are intimidated into silence? What if the common man has no more means to cry? Then it now becomes a case of beating the child and asking him not to cry at the same time.

The 1999 constitution ushered in one of the greatest mistakes in Nigeria: “our democracy”. Is this government really of the people, by the people and for the people? Are there shortage of people in Nigeria that some thieves will be recycled always in “our democracy”? Why are our law makers mostly retired, tired, visionless, and kleptomaniac ‘statesmen’? What good can ever come from them? What sort of bill can they pass if not that which favours their lifestyle? How can those who failed woefully at their small regions make laws that will work at the federal level?

IS THE NIGERIAN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY A RETIREMENT PLAN?

One biggest mystery I am yet to unravel about Abia State after the much touted return of democracy in 1999, is why the question of good governance has continually eluded the State. When other states are making every concerted effort to run away from the shackles of infrastructural decay that has gripped the country, not minding the scarce resources in their coffers, Abia State unfortunately keep relapsing to a zero infrastructural State. Even what Sam Mbakwe of blessed memory bequeathed the State has been left to rot completely. There is no meaningful developmental indicator I can authoritatively cite that both the past and present political leaders in the State have been able to place in motion for economic benefit of the state. Yet, when they vacate office, they always run to the national assembly to drool.

It will amount to a childish misfiring for me to point accusing fingers to God for sanctioning such a terrible omen that has befallen the people of God’s Own State. Abia State since 1999 has perennially produced the most arrogant, selfish and unscrupulous political leaders that lack morals.

Beginning from the political abomination called Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, to the thieving midget named Theodor Orji, and down to this present despotic and unconscientious government of Dr Okezie Ikpezu, there is no tangible achievement that the people of Abia State can pride on. The people of the State have stupendously survived to recycle bunch of looters and tricky personalities who know next to nothing about political leadership.

The just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria have once more heralded and opened another catastrophic page for the people of Abia State. The election ended up aiding the final reunion and synchronization of two political cons that cowardly raped and wrecked the entire future of Abia State with unremorseful impunity.

How come the people of Abia State defeatedly accept to join this political ‘one chance’ pioneered by some well known scavengers who never delivered the dividends of democracy during their tenure as State governors? How come the people of Abia state mustered such an irresponsible courage to politically empower two former governors whose corrupt actions blatantly caused the State the whooping sum of 30.3 billion naira? The duos have been on the EFCC black radar for being among the kleptomaniacs that rendered Abia State bankrupt.

What manner of representation can these men of low self esteem offer to the people of Abia beyond what their eight years of massive looting and nepotism as governors brought on board? Nothing has really changed.

The presence of T. A Orji and Dr Orji Uzor Kalu in the Senate will definitely amount to zero representation for the entire political architecture of the State. T. A Orji has been in the senate since 2015 without any reasonable achievement attached to his name as a senator. Orji Kalu has also joined in this charade after cross carpeting to the ruling draconian party (APC). Let’s avoid this self deceit and tell ourselves the truth. Both the former and the latter do not qualify in anyway to even lead a local government area. On a serious note, T. A Orji and Orji Uzor Kalu should have been facing a serious tribunal, if not for the fact that the criminal justice system in Nigeria is flawed. The criminal justice system in Nigeria is prone to manipulation. Therefore making it possible for unrepentant thieves to audaciously evade prosecution.

The eight years of Dr Orji Uzor Kalu and that of T. A Orji as governors of Abia State witnessed the highest level of financial recklessness. It was a political era when plunderers muzzled what is left of the state to a knot. Abia state is in comatose just because of the mischievousness of these duos.

However, the people of God’s Own State will live to deal with another four years of under representation in the National Assembly! Four years of sleeping and lazing about in the senate without proposing a bill! Another four years of collecting huge sums as constituency and wardrobe allowances without anything on ground to show for it. Of a truth, the Nigerian National Assembly is known to be a rallying rendezvous for heartless economic plunderers.

There is no amount of argument that will be potent enough to make a case for these duos as to why they should be in the senate. Under the cover of free and fair election, T. A Orji and Orji Kalu do not stand the chance of winning in their various constituencies. The warped electoral process afforded these con stars the opportunity to catapult themselves to the senate. A legislative chamber where all manner of corrupt scoundrel who looted the State coffers is verily hibernating at ease. The people of Abia state should not expect any form of inclusive and competent representation from these godfather and his son.

Those fraction of people from God’s Own State that cemented the synchronization of these ANINI and SHINA RAMBO in the senate by irresponsibly casting their votes for these looters must surely live to regret their decision. The chicken must surely return to roost no matter how long it tarries.

Kalu Nwokoro Idika is a political analyst at Family Writers Press

E-mail: Kalunwokoroidika@yahoo