8th National Assembly Should Ensure Implementation Of National Confab Report-Okorie

Chekwas

Chekwas Okorie is the national chairman of United Progressive Party (UPP) and its presidential candidate in the 2015 general election. In this interview, he spoke about the challenges before South-East and South-South lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly.

 On Tuesday the new National Assembly will be inaugurated, but for the lawmakers from the south east and south-south zones whose lawmakers are mostly from the opposition PDP how could they be effective as opposition lawmakers given the fact that these zones are used to be part of the government in power at the centre?

 Well there is no school where one learns to be in opposition or the act of opposition are taught, but if you find yourself in such a situation you have to adjust to the situation on hand. They are elected to represent their various constituencies and not to represent their political parties. They can also take a cue from President Buhari who has said that he is for every one and not for anyone and be ready to work for the interest of the country and not for narrow party interest, besides their job is not to go to the National Assembly to oppose the government in power but to make law. That does not require any experience.

How do you think these lawmakers can be effective?

 Don't forget that in this new National Assembly no party has an overwhelming majority, don't also forget that the new Assembly is made up of over 70 per cent new members, across the political divides, only 30 per cent returned so it is a learning process across the board. In any case when PDP was in the majority most of the lawmakers only concur with whatever the executive wants in most cases that tended to make the executive complacent because it was too sure that whatever it wants it was sure that it can get it from the National Assembly. That would not be the case this time. We are going to get a more vibrant and more robust National Assembly because no party has over whelming majority this time around.

 Sir, there is this fear that the south east and South-south put all their eggs in one basket and that this may hinder them from getting their share of the national cake?

 That is a challenge to the people of these zones and not only to the lawmakers and to the executive to create a balance. So I do not expect the government in power to marginalise them or pay them back in bad coins because after four years you will still go back to ask for their votes, so a good politician would like to bring the zones into the mainstream of the government and not to side-line them.

On a final note what should be on the agenda of the south east and south-south lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly?

  They should ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the national conference in which over N7billion was spent; they should also ensure fiscal federalism or true federalism and that could be done by laws that favours the restructuring of the country. To ensure the promulgation of the amended constitution which has gone through the process and remaining only the presidential assent. All of these will make better federal structure and devolution of power. They should ensure improvement in the electoral process. Jonathan had improved the electoral system they should improve on it so that Nigerians will continue to determine their leaders.