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By Yabagi Mohammed.
Immediately the people of Lokoja I constituency voted him to represent them at the State House of Assembly ahead of an incumbent, they knew they had given a chance to an individual that would provide adequate representation. Rt. Hon Umar Ahmed Imam is been known to be a silhouette, an alchemy with capacity for metamorphosis, a glimmer in the backwoods.
He had shown a glint of his capacity as a towering persona framed in the midget. Diminutives can be easy in the eye, but are always very determined. Ask anyone that you know.
Severally had he, in particular, and other stakeholders expressed worries about the operational atmosphere prevailing at the Kogi State Legislative Complex. The Assembly has been, times and times again, both a place for lawmaking and also a good lay for ‘foodmaking’. The legislators pass through tubers of Yams and Cassava to make law for the good governance of the state (?) Verdant and luxuriant as the background might be, an Assembly is supposed to be a place for serious business of legislation for the generality of the people, not only for land plowing. Don’t get me wrong, I love green! In fact give me green at any point in time and I am home with the environment, but not at the locale meant for legislative business. Also, I love farming lawmaker, but such lawmaker must be one thing at a time; isn’t it?
Before talking about the overhaul of the physical structure of the Assembly, Rt Hon Imam had always been an advocate of lawmaking for the good of the public. A lawmaker, whose sole responsibility is the act of itemization of rules that would help governance to meet the yearnings of the people, should be seen to be carrying out this onerous task with gusto, but that lacks in a situation where the atmosphere is one of faded walls shouting unkemptness, weakened fittings and grimy shelves cascading with mustiness.
Imam once opined to yours truly in an interview: “When we resumed as the 11th State Assembly, it was sad what I saw. The requisite environment required to operate was not there because the furnishings and other fittings were largely in abandoned state.
Unsurprisingly, I reliably gathered that our predecessors hardly had time to seat, and that they only come to the Assembly Complex when the executive need them. But this set of legislators is ready to work for those who elected them into office, and so, we must operate differently and in a more conducive environment.”
It is therefore no surprise that beyond the issue of renovations at the State House of Assembly Complex Imam had always set out to make a difference. He has consistently insisted that members must bring their A games to the business of legislation under his watch. When he contributed to debates on the floor, prior emergence as Speaker, he had always caught the attention of the entire house and the gallery for his intellect, articulation and novelty, by implication, challenging his colleagues to up their games.
He has said severally that it was not going to be business as usual, galvanizing his colleagues into reclaiming the rights of the state lawmakers. I am not sure the present executive would have any other way.
By principle and practice, the speaker has been a pathfinder for his colleagues in the house to be different. He has tacitly and deliberately reoriented their wits about the legislative business by demanding a fresh zest.
By implication, physical renovation can hardly change a thing without mental tidiness. Now that the legislature realizes that it is a new sheriff that pilots the affairs of the house, the renovation under his stewardship is an added impetus towards a more proactive Kogi State legislature.
“The Parliament, as the arm of government saddled with the responsibility of making laws for the good governance of a democratic society, must be handled by strong characters that have the foresight and capacity to move the physical structure and the rudimental requirement to the precinct where the required ambiance can be provided for its adequate functionality and performance.” To do this however, visionary leadership is important.
There is no denying that Imam, even in his modestly furnished home, has shown that he is a man of taste – with modesty. It was no surprise to those close to him that he chose to see the Assembly wear a new look, this is because he has always been a man of standard; just like the governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Kogi Assembly, despite being notorious for division since time beyond the reach of memory, a fairly recent heartfelt piece by Rt. Hon Imam, has shown that his aspiration is to be in unison with his ‘brothers’ towards a purposeful legislative business in the house.
He, by that piece, revealed his vision and mission for the Assembly under him and that fact went a long way to making the job reconciliation easy. That is now in the past.
The point however is that Imam, has with his teensy frame, opened a giant vista in the Assembly. Feelers from the legislators is that they are excited and ready to swing into action with gusto when the state legislature recommence its sitting, 19th July, 2016 in an environment befitting of their offices. There is no doubt this is a new day; with new Assembly complex, same members (with some ones), same Kogi State.
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