Stop this show of shame, Seadogs tell lawmakers

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The National Association of Seadogs has called on lawmakers in the National Assembly to stop the show of shame in the legislative chamber.

The association expressed sadness over the recent chaos that engulfed both chambers of the National Assembly as a result of issues bordering on sharing of principal positions.

National President of the association, Mr. Ifeanyi Onochie, in his reaction to the development on Saturday in Calabar, Cross River State, described the development as a ‘show of shame’.
Onochie, who conveyed the association’s displeasure, wondered if this display of immaturity coming from the National Assembly members was the change that Nigerians voted for.

He said, “How honourable could they now be if in the discharge of their duties of making laws for the betterment of the society, they start exchanging blows instead of ideas.”

Onochie explained that for Nigerians to move forward as a nation, its elected representatives must have the courage to distance the business of party politics from that of governance.

He called on National Assembly members to concentrate fully on the reasons they were sent to the legislative Houses, amongst which was to provide enabling laws that would guarantee quality leadership, development and nation building.

The association urged the legislators to sheath their swords and digest the good counsel of the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, when he said, “The people of Nigeria want to hear us talk about poverty, insecurity, unemployment and as long as the House is divided and not united, we cannot achieve that.

“We have been down this perilous road before. I plead with us as honourable members and as leaders that all hands must be on deck to enable us achieve the desired unity that will help us move this House forward. That is the responsibility we owe.”

Seadogs consequently implored the lawmakers to use the opportunity provided by the adjournment of the plenary to resolve all issues and spare Nigerians this sordid spectacle of yet again watching them turn to lawbreakers!

Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Hon. Bode Ayorinde, has described the crisis among members of the National Assembly as a normal thing to happen in a gathering of different people who want to achieve certain goals

Ayorinde, representing Owo/Ose Federal Constituency of the state under the platform of the All Progressive Congress, stated this on Saturday in a chat with journalists at the Thanksgiving Service to mark his 55th birthday in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area.

He said the federal lawmakers were yet to understand one another in the legislative business due to the fact that many of them came from different political backgrounds to form the APC, which later won the Presidential election and majority of seats in the National Assembly.

He said, “I think there is a misconception of what really happened in the National Assembly. Our party just took over the reign of power in the country. So, when you first marry as a new bride-groom, there is a lining curve. We have never been in power before, so all these are expected. Secondly, don’t forget that the party was just one year old when we came into power and the party is made up of five segments.

“Four parties initially merged to form the APC. Later, a substantial part of the Peoples Democratic Party joined, making five. We need time to understand ourselves. I am sure in another three months, we would have settled down. If you form a club and you bring 30 people together and they are from different backgrounds and different families, you don’t expect that in the first meeting or second meeting that there won’t be altercation, but after some time, they will understand themselves.
“Our party will soon settle down for business. We are getting the leaders settled and I can tell you that it is not unexpected but it will be settled.”

The federal lawmaker, who expressed optimism that the crisis would soon be resolved, reiterated that the APC had better plans for the country with different developmental policies, saying that “in the next three month, Nigeria will be happy about us.”

“We won’t fail Nigerians. We have not started. We have just spent one month out of 48 months. We still have 47 months, indicating 99 per cent of the time. Within 10 weeks when we would have spent three months, we would have been able to satisfy Nigerians. Hope is there that there is going to be a change,” he said.

The legal practitioner-turned politician who also inaugurated his Constituency Office in Owo, promised to set up two factories – one in Owo and another one in Ose Local Government, among other dividends of democracy.

“We are perfecting it and very soon, we shall lay the foundations. I promised quality representation. Very soon, my people and Nigerians will know that Bode Ayorinde is a member of the House of Representatives,” Ayorinde pledged.