Based on what we read in the media that money exchanged hands, it was quite unfortunate that such ugly trend prevailed. It has never been this bad. I was in the National Assembly for two terms and I cannot recall that I elected anybody to be Speaker or any other principal officer of the House based on any form of inducement at all. But, the things we read on the pages of newspapers and the social media recently did not suggest that the emergence of the principal officers of the National Assembly was proper. I don’t think so. What we saw over the appointment of the Minority leaders when the House witnessed a rowdy session was quite unfortunate. The choice of the principal officers shouldn’t have caused any form of rancour because it is supposed to be the sole responsibility of the opposition parties to elect their leaders. I read that one of the claimants to the office of the minority leader was threatened by the presiding officer of the House. That is not the way to start the ninth National Assembly. It sends a wrong signal to those of us who belong to that institution and Nigerians generally.
It is important to show party loyalty; there is no question about that. But it is more important to show loyalty to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to serve in the best interest of the citizens of Nigeria. The leadership of the National Assembly as constituted today is made up of Mr President’s men. However, they should not forget that posterity will judge them after leaving office. They should not forget that the bastion of democracy is the legislature. At this stage of our growing democracy, it is extremely important that the presiding officers of the National Assembly must, at all times, do their best in protecting the independence of the legislature, especially at a time when the autonomy of the judiciary has been clearly compromised.
The concept of Ruga has been suspended by President Muhammadu Buhari following the controversy it generated. But before Ruga, the government came up with the idea of ranching and cattle colony.
It is a policy summersault. It is an attempt by the government to cover itself from public shame and disgrace, hence it adopted the word ‘suspension’. Actually, what has happened is nothing but the termination of the scheme. I said termination because the government started with what is called ranching. Thereafter, they came up with the idea of cattle colony. The people attacked it and it went into oblivion and all of a sudden and without any form of consultation, the government introduced the Ruga scheme. But it was roundly rejected. I will suggest that those who rejected ranching, cattle colony and also Ruga should be on guard. Who knows, those behind the unpopular ideas may come up with another term? The question I keep asking is, what makes the president think that between the farmers and herders, it is the latter that deserve the necessary attention of the government? Why should one policy be given all manner of names in order to satisfy the herdsmen and not all citizens of Nigeria? The crisis between the farmers and the herdsmen is between two equal stakeholders in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, the government ought to be father to all and not just to one person. But unfortunately, the only policy the president understands and can even implement without any legal backing is the one that is pro-herdsmen.
