BY PETER OKUTU

The task before the new Speaker of the Fourth Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Nwankwo representing Ebonyi North West constituency, are not only enormous but also challenging considering the present political apprehension gradually gearing up in the state as a result of the outcome of the last general election in the state.

At the polls, the State was seriously battered by strange activities of both the opposition and ruling political party, as the two sides are not resting on their oars till several episodes of the election was tackled in fairness at the Election Petition Tribunal.

But not withstanding, the Speaker who has been adjudged as unassuming, responsible and matured in the act of law making, having garnered lots of legislative ingenuity in the previous Assembly, has equally developed the capacity to pilot the affairs of the assembly and operate within statutory guidelines in the interest of the State and Executive Arm of government

However, some political observers have described as critical the current assembly since it is the first time in the history of the State were an opposition political party has infiltrated into the legislature.

Nwankwo’s failure and successes would serve as a benchmark to measure the performances of the next Speaker and also, the activities of the PDP-led government in the State for the next four years.

Political analysts who monitored activities of the assembly for several years believe that the legislative ingenuity of the firstto the inauguration of the assembly was a product of long standing experience of members who were either two time members or had occupied sensitive positions in government. These lawmakers were either top management administrators, council chairmen or were self made entrepreneurs thereby giving the required skills to run a result oriented parliament.

The third legislative house went through a process of hard work, diligence and extraordinary cooperation coupled with maintenance of peace within the polity. The assembly did not only ensure smooth passage of bills sent to the House, but also justified the whole essence for which their constituents elected them as their representatives.

The period was, indeed, very challenging for the former Speaker of the House, Hon. Augustine Nwankwegu who mediated between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the State Government to ensure a well acceptable compromise between both parties; brought about quick passages of bills which took care of incessant cases of kidnapping in the State, the Ezza/Izillo communal clashes and other threatening phenomenon that held the State spell bound.

However, going by the recent inauguration of the current assembly, there are prognostications in several quarters that it would witness much stiffer challenges considering the composition of the house which is completely dissimilar from all the Assemblies ever inaugurated since the beginning of civil rule in the State.

The first, second and third assemblies never had the infusion or intrusion of any other political party apart from the dominance of the ruling party, the PDP in the state. Accordingly, the present House, which is consists of  24 members, 22 are PDP members while two are of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP.

It is worthy to note that the composition of the Ebonyi State House is usually made up of twenty-four (24) members from different constituencies across the three senatorial zones of the State.

At the inauguration of the 4th Assembly, 18 members of the PDP including the former Speaker, Hon. Nwankwegu, who were in the previous Assembly were not returned, while only six out of 24 made it. As it stands, the House is now made up of 18 new members and six old ones who will definitely work towards sustaining the peace and stability synonymous with the 3rd Assembly.

However, what is interesting in the composition of the 4th Assembly is the presence of two members of the opposition party,  ANPP. The two members are from Ebonyi Central Senatorial district. They are: Hon. Nwobashi Joseph representing Ezza North East constituency and Hon. Enyi O. Chukwuma representing Ezza North west constituency. While Hon. Joseph was nominated Minority Whip, his colleague equally got the position of Minority leader.

The PDP members are: Speaker of the House, Hon. Ikechukwu representing Ebonyi North West, Deputy Speaker, Barr. Valentine Okike representing Onicha West, Nwachukwu Oliver representing Abakaliki North, Mrs. Helen Nwobasi representing Abakaliki South, Nwazunku Chukwuma representing Ebonyi North East, Nwibo Vincent Mbam representing Izzi West, Nwefuru Francis representing Izzi West, Barr. Onwe Frank Nwaka representing Ohaukwu North, Mrs. Aleke Mabel Ozueaku representing Ohaukwu South, Usulor Christian representing Ezza South, Mr. Nwali Samuel Nwoba representing Ikwo North.

Others are Ogiji Imo Chike representing Ikwo South, Ogbu Anthony Ikechukwu representing Ishielu North, Mr. Julius Nwokpor representing Ishielu South, Mr. Eloy, Eloy Ogbonna representing Afikpo North East, Ikoro Ogbonna Kingsley representing Afikpo North West, Mr. Oji, Blaise Eze representing Afikpo South East, Barr. Uduma Chima Eni representing Afikpo South West, Princess Lillian Igwe representing Ivo, Mrs. Nnenna Nwane representing Ohaozara East, Mr. Jerry Obasi representing Ohaozara West, and Mr. Odefa Obasi Odefa representing Onicha East.

At its inaugural sitting, the State House of Assembly elected Nwankwo as Speaker of the House, Valentine Okike Uzor, Deputy Speaker, Samuel Nwali Majority Leader, Ikechukwu Ogbu Deputy Leader, Kingsley Ogbonna Ikoro Chief Whip, Ogbonna Nwifuru Deputy Whip, while the only two ANPP members in the House: Enyi Chukwuma Enyi and Joseph Nwobasi were elected Minority Leader and Minority Whip respectively.

With these floor functionaries now in place, it is expected that the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Nwankwo would with his experiences in legislative business coordinate the House maturely to ensure smooth passage of Bills, cooperation among members, regulated interference of the Executive Arm of Government in the business of the House and most importantly, make available the allowances and remuneration of members as or at when due.

The Governor, while inaugurating the House noted that the mantle of leadership of Speakership of the House fell on Nwankwo because of the zoning formula put in place by the PDP. He said the decision was necessary for sustenance of power balance, equity and fairness in the running of the State.

The 4th Assembly, which has a composition of 24 members, has only six members who were in the 3rd Assembly and prominent among these six members including the Speaker are seen as dutiful, masters in the act of lawmaking, vibrant crusaders of good policy thrust in governance and articulate orators during presentation of bills and arguments at the floor of the House.

They are: Hon. Odefa Obasi Odefa, the Member representing Onicha East constituency, Barr. Uduma Chima Eni member representing Afikpo South West constituency and Hon. Ogiji Imo Chike member representing Ikwo South constituency.

Little wonder, the choice of the new Speaker was generally accepted in most quarters because of his characteristically exhibition of humility, respect for members of the House, rare leadership qualities, show of cooperation, which endeared him to his colleagues at the floor of the House.
With these members at the floor of the House, it is expected that the 4th Assembly will continue to pursue the vigour and capabilities the 3rd Assembly was noted for. However, the new members in the House have to learn the act of law making quickly so that the House could remain an interesting Chamber to visit during sessions.

Inaugurating the Assembly at the Hallow Chambers of State House of Assembly, Abakaliki, Governor Martin Elechi also charged the new members to put the interest of the State above communal, constituency, local government or zonal interest in the discharge of their statutory
obligations.

The Governor noted that the tasks of law making demanded cooperation and teamwork among members. Elechi charged them to work towards sustaining the legacies of the 3rd Assembly, which according to him were among others, preservation of peace within the House and State at

large and expeditious passage of Bills from the Executive Arm of government.
He said: “In other words, your task demands that you all become team players. It only by teamwork that the business of the House will progress expeditiously. There is no magic that will compel all of you to reason alike, but the interest of the State should always prevail over communal, constituency, local government or zonal interests.

“Third Assembly which you are succeeding was exemplary in many ways; but two areas need to be mentioned. Firstly, it was adjudged by comparison with other State Legislatures to be the most peaceful House of Assembly. Secondly, it was noted for expeditious passage of Bills from the Executive.

“We cannot therefore, afford a state of rancour and bitter relationship in our public engagements. Ebonyi people, therefore, expect you to excel the Third Assembly on whose foundation you are about to build”.

The third Assembly, apparently, was criticized for being a rubber stamp of the Executive Arm of Government but the former Speaker; Rt. Hon. Augustine Nwankwegu always rejected this observation noting that a young State like Ebonyi needed a synergy between all the Arms of Government to survive any political dispensation. What is however important to the stakeholders of Ebonyi State is the maintenance of peace within the polity especially as it concerns leadership and governance of the State irrespective of clash of interest.

Ebonyi State being a young state has often times pursued the course of what would ensure its unity, togetherness and cohesion no matter the clash of interest at any level of governance. This being so, what was operational in the third Assembly was a well structured understanding between both Arms of Government. But what remained uninteresting in the minds of analysts was the way and manner with which bills were passed into law by the House with the slightest act of rejection let alone delay.

Senator Ayogu Eze was right when he stated that “without the legislature, the essence of democracy is defeated because it represents the people who are the essence of democracy and ensures checks and balances in  governance through effective oversight on the activities of the Executive Arm so as to protect the general interest of the people whose mandate it represents in governance”.

Also, Watchers of events in Ebonyi State have also said it was gratifying to note that the State House of Assembly recorded remarkable achievements in its assigned responsibility of enacting laws for the good governance of the people as well as in carrying out its oversight functions.

Most importantly, the former Speaker led House had for the past four years ensured that democratic dividends were delivered to the people of Ebonyi state through the enactment of people-oriented laws. The honourable members were dedicated and committed towards speedy passage of bills presented before the House.

They equally handled passages of bills brought before the House without compromising the due process of law making. For the past four years the House passed a total of thirty_six (36) bills which are all operational laws and two private member bills which could not scale through second reading for lack of merit and credibility and adopted twenty_nine (29) motions (substantive and subsidiary) all positively touching the lives of Ebonyians today.

The lawmakers on their own have proved that they are discipline and honourable considering their friendly and brotherly dispositions in handling matters amongst themselves. Their regular meetings at the Executive sessions to discuss their internal affairs and welfare have helped persevere, more so when all the members were card carriers of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the 3rd Assembly.
But what most Analysts have postulated is that in the Forth Assembly, the tide of legislative business will most likely take an entirely new dimension as member of ANPP would want to challenge every Bill brought to the House by the State government as a way of asserting their presence, thereby bringing out the flaws in the policies of the present administration.

But despite these views, the ANPP is in the minority, so that, even when they intend to object a motion at the floor of the House, the PDP that is in the majority, will always if not carry the day. But what may be very interesting is that every Bill brought before the House will surely undergone stringent processes of scrutiny and debate before passage into law.

The 4th Assembly just like the 3rd is agreeable on the need for fellow members to make reasonable impact in their respective constituencies by having some developmental projects executed for their people.

The Governor of the State, Chief Martin Elechi who approved constituency projects for the members of the House in the 3rd Assembly has always held the notion that provision of democratic dividend was the policy thrust of his administration. The Hon. Members though not given funds directly, proposed projects for their constituencies and monitored execution of same, alongside the Ministry of Finance and State Audit.

Today, Hon. Members have to their credit Classroom desks, Health centers, Water boreholes, Graded roads, Classroom blocks, Culverts, and so on across the twenty-four State Constituencies of Ebonyi state. This year, Ebonyi State government made a budget of sixty billion, one hundred and eighty-eight million, five hundred and forty-nine thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira (N64,188,549,750) which is 21 percent lower than the 2010 budget.

According the former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Barr. Timothy Odaah: “The budget will be funded through saving carried forward, Internally Generated Revenue, Statutory Allocation, Unutilized proceeds from Bond proceeds and Capital Receipt.

“The Recurrent Expenditure for the 2011 fiscal year is twenty-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-two million, eight hundred and sixty-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety naira. In practical terms, twenty-three billion, nine hundred and nine-two million, eight hundred and sixty nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety naira is partly for the recurrent expenditure while six billion is a contingency fund reserved in the stabilization Account for use on eventual issues.

“In the 2011 fiscal year, a sum of thirty billion, one hundred and ninety five million, six hundred and seventy-nine thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira is appropriated for Capital Development, which represents 50 percent of the total budget size of the state. This is allocated to the Economic, Social, Environment and Regional Development, General Administration.” He stated.

He gave the highlight of the priority capital projects of Ebonyi state government for 2011 fiscal year to include: Works and Transport, Water resources and Supply, Manufacturing, Housing, Education, Agriculture, Health, Culture and Tourism stressing that the realization of this year’s budget rests on the shoulders of not only the state government but also, the entire citizens of the state.

For the present House to achieve its legislative agenda for the next four years, it would be a matter of it sticking to its ritualistic disposition of always working in tandem with the Executive Arm of government.

The House over the years has been branded for its amiable nature of not provoking any fight or unnecessary disenchantment with the Executive Arm since the beginning of civil rule in the State. And if this phenomenon is maintained at all cost, there is no prospect of any friction in the House and between the Executive Arm of government; except if any only if the opposition political party in the House decides on the contrary.