I offer my congratulations to the newly elected parliamentarians.Kogi State electorates are passionate about who becomes their House of Assembly members but incase if he failed them, betrayed their trust and didn’t meet up their expectations they hardly think before they dump him/her…ask YY, Abdullahi Bello and others…they will tell you more stories
During the last election, The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State won 11 out of 25 seats in the state House of Assembly during the April 11 governorship and assembly elections nationwide. PDP got 14 members from the contest. In total, there are almost 70% new comers.
A lots need to be done in building their capacity.
In simple terms, the legislature performs three basic Roles namely: lawmaking, representation and oversight. So, in the House of Assembly, you are expected to make laws, carry out representative functions on behalf of the people who in your case, are demarcated to 24 in numbers and oversee the executive arm of government which include the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to ensure that government is held accountable to the people from where it derives its sovereignty. Honorable, you need to start reading now! Get familiar with your constitutional responsibilities For instance; understanding legislative procedure and practice, the distance between House Rules and Constitutional matters, get glued to law making buzzwords like of “Concurrent Legislative List”
Concurrent Legislative List provided for under Part II of the Second Schedule to the Constitution. It includes 30 items. It is called Concurrent List because the Constitution allows both the National Assembly and the State Houses of Assembly to legislate on the items so specified. The 30 items include the following amongst others: public funds at state and local government levels, antiquities and monuments, collection of taxes, stamp duties, voter registration in the local government councils, agriculture, education, cadastral and topographical surveys etc.
There is yet another category of powers described as residual list. This is the exclusive prerogative of the States. This is the implication of the provisions of Section 4 (7a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)
As an incoming lawmaker, have you set your priorities? Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital ones…. As a newly elected member what are your priorities? Is it buying of expensive SUV cars? Building of mansions? Having series unmanageable numbers of istagram girlfriends? So it’s not too late! Set your priorities Now!
You can set your priorities straight – I don’t subscribe much to the ‘CHOP-CHOP SYNDROME’ I’m an advocate of balancing physical Infrastructures with little chops… You need to be extremely careful in agenda setting. Study your constituency and constitute well, do community mapping, needs assessment and have the clear pictures of what they understand as ‘development’. Think of the cash flow and cash backing; don’t expect much money in this era of change and fiscal cliff. Cut your coat according to the size of the cloths not according to your size.
Always make yourself available to the electorates avoid making the hotels in Abuja and Lokoja your second home – There is what we called communicating governance, always create time to touch base with electorates, communicate emerging issues them most especially the key stakeholders. Initiates laws and sponsor bills that centered on lifting people out of poverty, service delivery, social sector system strengthening and human development and sustainable livelihood with special attention to the majority vulnerable rural poor.
Distinguish Honorable, must you do with Bank Loan? For a start, you are happy as a newly elected member you won’t bother to bargain well on administrative charges with banks…. Think about the implication please.
Take a critical cursory look at your predecessors – wallahi you pick a lots lesson. If you want to change your life, you have to change what you are doing. It wasn’t his fault, her fault, their fault or the circumstances. It was your inability to choose. So, life chose for you. And, always remember, Time is value and you have only 1,460 days in office as a member representing your constituency….So make those days valuable and appreciated.
I wish you guys all the best.
Aliyu Abubakar Adeiza
Political Activist
