Chief
Olisa Agbakoba’s case against the bogus emoluments being received by
the National Assembly members has generated some reactions. Agbakoba is a
human rights activist and former President of the Nigerian Bar
Association. And so the case he intends to file in the court against the
federal lawmakers may only serve the purpose of public awareness just
like the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi was doing during the military era.
This
is not the first time that a concerned and a well-placed citizen of
this nation would draw public attention to the atrocities being
perpetrated in the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly.
It
will be recalled that the current Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, first
blew the whistle in 2012 when as a Governor of the Central Bank he
revealed that not less than 25 per cent of the nation’s annual budget
was being used to cater to a National Assembly of about 500 members. And
of the remaining 75 per cent, the executive arm of government ensures
that the recurrent expenditure supersedes the capital expenditure even
as high as 65: 32 ratio in favour of the former.
Some of us have
written copiously on this obnoxious and contentions issue just to
awaken the conscience of our federal lawmakers. But the status quo has
not changed. Rather, they are becoming more daring in appropriating a
larger chunk of the nation’s budgetary allocations to themselves. No
thanks to some members of the National Assembly leadership who want to
be life/permanent members. These are members who are returning to the
National Assembly for the fourth or fifth term instead of seeking
another vocation in manufacturing or agriculture in order to reduce
unemployment and thereby boost our national food security.
While
we are not trying to discourage Agbakoba from taking this line of
action against those we supposedly elected to represent our interests,
we are saying this is a moral issue and the National Assembly members do
not care if the majority of Nigerians are sleeping under the bridges
while most estates are unoccupied in our cities. It has become appalling
and our clerics seem to look aside and are making feeble or no attempts
to awaken the conscience of these political leaders.
The only
social safety net that remains resides in the president-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari. If Buhari can demonstrate leadership by example by cutting the
budgetary allocations of the State House and those of his ministers and
other public office holders on assumption of power come May 29, 2015,
then the federal legislators will be forced to toe the line.
On
his strategy to combat corruption, we advise the president-elect to
still keep his cards very close to his chest. The body language should
be sending out signals of his intentions and not necessarily speeches.
We are waiting the real action and so he should talk less for the sake
of national security. We have received so many promises from past
governments and even from the outgoing one and the nation is fed up. We
want the president-elect to hit the ground running. Nigerians want to
see actions so that everyone will be made to touch and feel the impact
of such actions.
In the meantime, we will continue to keep our
fingers crossed and see whether Agbakoba’s intended case against the
National Assembly members will yield the desired results. Only time can
tell. And may God continue to spare our lives to witness more glorious
days in Nigeria – days when politicians and other public office holders
will see their positions as calls to service and not as opportunities
and avenues to corruptly enrich themselves at the expense of the masses.
We pray for more good shepherds to emerge and lead this nation to
greener pastures. This nation does not deserve the services of hireling
shepherds.
Gbemiga Olakunle, JP
General Secretary, National Prayer Movement
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