“Unto us a worthy representative of his people was born and unto us he has delivered as our voice”. This was the very words of the people Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro federal constituency when it was announced that their son, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims has been elected by his colleagues in the House of Representatives as the deputy majority leader.
For those who have known his leadership and legislative trajectories for many years, this was not surprising. It was not surprising because for a man who in his first term as a member of the house of representatives was selected as the chairman of the house committee on mine and steel speaks volumes of his credibility.
Those also who know the importance and activities of standing committees of a legislative arm will tell you that the committees of the house help organise the most important work of congress by considering, shaping and proposing viable laws to the house as bills for the house to pass into law.
The life of a member of the House of Representatives in any country begins and ends in committees and Hon. Halims has played a big pivotal role in the success of the 9th house of Representatives with distinction. No wonder because the chairman of the house committees organise the most important work of parliaments and having performed wonderfully, it was therefore natural that his colleagues elevates him to his present exalted position as the deputy majority leader of the house.
Honourable Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims, for those who do not know him before his election into the house of representatives, was a gladiator whose record of service is worth the book of rememberable. He is now representing the good people of Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro federal constituency of Kogi state in the house of representatives.
At first glance, political representative in a liberal democracies like ours in Nigeria is a straight forward concept. In every four years at the national level there is an election where citizens from defined geographical area be it local or state level, choose from a range of candidates. Agreed that both theoretically and in practice, it is more complicated but the achievements of Hon. Halims in so short a time has made the arguments about the complications more complicated because he has performed wonderfully and the people do not necessary change a performing representative. This is because normal representative democracies are poetically defined as a government of the people, for the people and of the people and for the Ankpa/Omala/Olamaboro people, Hon. Halims is an embodiment of what they really want in their representative.
His expectations and duties as the Representatives of his people which are extensive and encompassing several roles has made his assignment a full time job in itself has been justified by him to the commendation of all and his recent elevation to the position of the deputy majority leader of the house of reps.
These complications we talk about actually relates to the actors rather than the institutions. Hon. Halims sees representation exceptionally as a set of procedures or rules that selects people to formulate or legislate the public interest in an accountable way and that is basically what he has done in his first stint at the House of Representatives that it is no surprise that he has severally been recruited by the leadership of the house for appointments uncommonly given to first termers.
He is one representative who believes that representation is basically the accountable aggregation of interests and that basic interests is that of the people.
His former role as the Chairman of the House Committee on Mines and Steel and his vast experience in legislative duties stands him in good stead to confront the challenges of his duties as the deputy majority leader. As a leader and legislature, a lot would be expected from him and he would not fail.
Honourable Halims is a politician who believes in the Kogi agenda and not any ethnic or religio-centric agenda because he wants the best for the state. Representative Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali Halims is today recognised as the complete bridge builder, political performer and the new face of Kogi politics.
– Musa Wada writes from Abuja.
