19 February 2018
The decision by the 8th Cross River State House of Assembly led by Speaker John Gaul Lebo to sit today Monday 19 February to vote over the fifteen constitutional amendment by the National Assembly transmitted to her since December 2017 is clearly an afterthought I can tell you authoritatively : on Thursday last week, this House of Assembly met and passed the N1.3 trillion 2018 Appropriation bill into law.
Speaker Lebo (I would have called him out here if he hadn't 'blocked' me on Facebook) during his 'vote of thanks' at the end of the legislative session never mentioned Monday sitting rather he informed about Tuesday sitting when the House would reconvene this week —he never talked about the fifteen altercations transmitted to it last year from the National Assembly.
Instead this Assembly and its 25 dis-honourables led by her Rt. Dis-honourable have been engaged in 'Bendorsement' : the recent gale of endorsement of Gov Ben Ayade for a second term as governor. They continued in this shenanigan until 24 State Houses of Assembly across the Federal Republic of Nigeria voted yes to the Age Reduction bill popularly tagged the Not Too Young To Run bill.
So, this decision to meet today came as an afterthought —this is a clear case of irresponsibility by public officers surviving from the generosity of taxpayers.
It pains my heart that of the 25 members, we have handful of youths, but, I have never heard them say anything about the bill. What's more surprising is that Speaker Lebo is the Chair of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, thus, and in respect of other things, he tags the 8th Assembly a 'leading legislsture' : could a leading legislature be as retrogressive as this Assembly!? I don't care what they vote —they can vote for all I care.
I have garnered from grapevine that this 8th Assembly has been under pressure from the Executive not to support the financial autonomy of the thirty-six State Houses of Assembly as well as the the autonomy of local government. I am calling on the Speaker via his Chief Press Secretary Azogor Ideba and social media aide Steven Ogbaji including the Deputy Speaker, Hon Joseph Bassey via his Chief of General Staff Joshua Ante, the Representative for Biase, Philosopher Rootman Ogbor to assuage the disappointment of Cross Riverians by voting 'yes' and unanimously so to the remaining fourteen amendments. They have the rare opportunity to compensate their Constituents via my proposal.
We are watching.
©Nyokism
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Social Commentator
