Nigerian-sleeping-lawmakers-pictures-of-what-they-have-made-us-become-as-a-nation
September 7, 2020 | News
NIGERIAN ‘SLEEPING’ LAWMAKERS – PICTURES OF WHAT THEY HAVE MADE US BECOME AS A NATION
Our hearts ache, every time that we consider the existing structure, character, disposition and attitude towards statutory functions/duties of Nigerian lawmakers, which often times paints a picture of legislators that really do not fully understand their roles, the demands of their positions and the seriously this portends in nation-building.
From their usual rowdy sessions, free-for-all fights/fisticuffs, empty seats during weekly sessions, the outrageous salaries/bonuses and ‘high-maintenance culture’ they allocate to themselves, refusal/unwillingness to resign to pave way/allow the law take its course especially when they have corrupt cases/charges hanging on their neck, their penchant to quickly pass Bills that would project and protect their interests but mindlessly and purposely delay the passage of Bills meant to improve the lot of Nigerians; to their lavish and wasteful lifestyles that have made many of them so greedy and willing to do anything to remain in office to maintain such lifestyles, and so on and so forth. The list is quite many if we are to state all the anomalies and things wrong with our Nigerian so-called lawmakers, all of which makes the National and State Assemblies to be in ‘a sorry-state’ as Institutions of legislature.
The one that tops the list is their habit of sleeping-their-life-away during plenary sessions. This is why we were not surprised when it was recently reported that the Ekiti State House of Assembly has suspended its Chief Whip, Mr. Sunday Akinniyi, who is representing Ikere Constituency 2, for allegedly sleeping at plenary sessions. A statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, in Ado-Ekiti, said the House suspended Akinniyi over series of allegations levelled against him, chief among which is his sleeping habit. Though, they statement also noted that Akinniyi was accused few weeks ago of “breeding terrorism and violence towards the mace in a properly constituted plenary session, belligerence attitude and acts of bellicosity against his colleagues and pugnacious behaviours in his constituency against his own people, all amounting to gross misconduct and unbecoming of any honourable member of this House, but that of the “habit of sleeping” from the beginning of any programme to the end to the extent that he was nicknamed ‘the sleeping honourable,’ was the aspect that got many talking.
The statement noted that several attempts by the Ekiti State House Speaker advising him to pay attention to his people and his health has been rebuffed with insults. The truth is, there are many ‘Akinniyis’ at the Federal and various State Assemblies across the country. In fact, being a Federal lawmaker in Nigeria comes with an unusual ease and financial comfort which is painted in the lackluster manner at which duties are being discharged in both arms of the legislatures. In other words, if you get too tired on duty, you can as well sleep off while important issues are being deliberated without being sanctioned by the leadership of the house or your constituents.
There have been countless hilarious pictures, circulated on social media and the internet, of several Nigerian Federal and State lawmakers practically dozing and taking their siesta during plenary sessions without any iota of care. What we find more appalling with all of this, is the fact that these lawmakers are adjudged to be the highest paid in the world, yet all they have been dishing out to Nigerians is nothing to write home about. And on top, they sleep during plenary sessions where national issues affecting the lives of the masses are discussed and decided.
It is a pathetic and sad situation to have where a ‘small number of our political leaders’ as lawmakers, are swallowing the nation’s Recurrent expenditure to the detriment of Capital expenditure that would provide developmental strides for the over 180 million people of this country. Comparatively, when we consider the salaries, bonuses and fringe benefits yearly enjoyed by members of the National Assembly, compared to that of their counterparts in other parts of the world, we would be amazed at the disparity, and then understand why we are insisting that our nation should no longer be made to satisfy the huge insatiable appetites of these so-called lawmakers.
Nigerian lawmakers are the recipient of unimaginable allowances outside basic salaries, including foreign and local travel, recess, utilities, furniture, constituency allowance, and vehicle loan as well as vehicle maintenance, and even a ‘hardship allowance’ among others. Never for once, have we heard of Nigerian public Office holders giving up their emoluments or even their so-called Constituency Projects for the benefit of the Nigerian people. Also, it is the practice, that under the pretext of statutory transfer, the National Assembly are allocated huge sums which details are never made public. They enjoy these privileges for doing nothing other than ‘sleeping’, and against the backdrop of a laughable minimum wage for an average worker, unpaid public servants, and millions of jobless graduates who roam the streets and increasing social crises.
This is why we find it out of place to observe that our public leaders in government circles are earning millions and hundreds of millions of naira annually, when millions of Nigerians are living below one dollar per day; when over 60 percent of Nigerians do not have access to regular power supply. Even Nigerians that are privileged to earn a six digits salary figure are still ‘struggling’ to keep their heads afloat from sinking with the ‘high cost of living’.
The bottom line is that, these viral pictures of Nigerian lawmakers sleeping on national duty, depicts Nigeria’s status as the ‘sleeping giant of Africa.’ And we wonder why sensitive bills like the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which they have turned into the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), have not received the attention it deserves for holistic passage into law. Be that as it may, Nigerian lawmakers at all levels should understand that they were elected by the people into their various Chambers “to serve the Nigerian masses” and nothing else, especially not to go there and sleep. They should be ready and very willing to make all the necessary changes and adjustments required to become something at least close to that of the counterparts in US Congress or the UK Parliament.
Zik Gbemre, JP.
Our hearts ache, every time that we consider the existing structure, character, disposition and attitude towards statutory functions/duties of Nigerian lawmakers, which often times paints a picture of legislators that really do not fully understand their roles, the demands of their positions and the seriously this portends in nation-building.
From their usual rowdy sessions, free-for-all fights/fisticuffs, empty seats during weekly sessions, the outrageous salaries/bonuses and ‘high-maintenance culture’ they allocate to themselves, refusal/unwillingness to resign to pave way/allow the law take its course especially when they have corrupt cases/charges hanging on their neck, their penchant to quickly pass Bills that would project and protect their interests but mindlessly and purposely delay the passage of Bills meant to improve the lot of Nigerians; to their lavish and wasteful lifestyles that have made many of them so greedy and willing to do anything to remain in office to maintain such lifestyles, and so on and so forth. The list is quite many if we are to state all the anomalies and things wrong with our Nigerian so-called lawmakers, all of which makes the National and State Assemblies to be in ‘a sorry-state’ as Institutions of legislature.
The one that tops the list is their habit of sleeping-their-life-away during plenary sessions. This is why we were not surprised when it was recently reported that the Ekiti State House of Assembly has suspended its Chief Whip, Mr. Sunday Akinniyi, who is representing Ikere Constituency 2, for allegedly sleeping at plenary sessions. A statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, in Ado-Ekiti, said the House suspended Akinniyi over series of allegations levelled against him, chief among which is his sleeping habit. Though, they statement also noted that Akinniyi was accused few weeks ago of “breeding terrorism and violence towards the mace in a properly constituted plenary session, belligerence attitude and acts of bellicosity against his colleagues and pugnacious behaviours in his constituency against his own people, all amounting to gross misconduct and unbecoming of any honourable member of this House, but that of the “habit of sleeping” from the beginning of any programme to the end to the extent that he was nicknamed ‘the sleeping honourable,’ was the aspect that got many talking.
The statement noted that several attempts by the Ekiti State House Speaker advising him to pay attention to his people and his health has been rebuffed with insults. The truth is, there are many ‘Akinniyis’ at the Federal and various State Assemblies across the country. In fact, being a Federal lawmaker in Nigeria comes with an unusual ease and financial comfort which is painted in the lackluster manner at which duties are being discharged in both arms of the legislatures. In other words, if you get too tired on duty, you can as well sleep off while important issues are being deliberated without being sanctioned by the leadership of the house or your constituents.
There have been countless hilarious pictures, circulated on social media and the internet, of several Nigerian Federal and State lawmakers practically dozing and taking their siesta during plenary sessions without any iota of care. What we find more appalling with all of this, is the fact that these lawmakers are adjudged to be the highest paid in the world, yet all they have been dishing out to Nigerians is nothing to write home about. And on top, they sleep during plenary sessions where national issues affecting the lives of the masses are discussed and decided.
It is a pathetic and sad situation to have where a ‘small number of our political leaders’ as lawmakers, are swallowing the nation’s Recurrent expenditure to the detriment of Capital expenditure that would provide developmental strides for the over 180 million people of this country. Comparatively, when we consider the salaries, bonuses and fringe benefits yearly enjoyed by members of the National Assembly, compared to that of their counterparts in other parts of the world, we would be amazed at the disparity, and then understand why we are insisting that our nation should no longer be made to satisfy the huge insatiable appetites of these so-called lawmakers.
Nigerian lawmakers are the recipient of unimaginable allowances outside basic salaries, including foreign and local travel, recess, utilities, furniture, constituency allowance, and vehicle loan as well as vehicle maintenance, and even a ‘hardship allowance’ among others. Never for once, have we heard of Nigerian public Office holders giving up their emoluments or even their so-called Constituency Projects for the benefit of the Nigerian people. Also, it is the practice, that under the pretext of statutory transfer, the National Assembly are allocated huge sums which details are never made public. They enjoy these privileges for doing nothing other than ‘sleeping’, and against the backdrop of a laughable minimum wage for an average worker, unpaid public servants, and millions of jobless graduates who roam the streets and increasing social crises.
This is why we find it out of place to observe that our public leaders in government circles are earning millions and hundreds of millions of naira annually, when millions of Nigerians are living below one dollar per day; when over 60 percent of Nigerians do not have access to regular power supply. Even Nigerians that are privileged to earn a six digits salary figure are still ‘struggling’ to keep their heads afloat from sinking with the ‘high cost of living’.
The bottom line is that, these viral pictures of Nigerian lawmakers sleeping on national duty, depicts Nigeria’s status as the ‘sleeping giant of Africa.’ And we wonder why sensitive bills like the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which they have turned into the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), have not received the attention it deserves for holistic passage into law. Be that as it may, Nigerian lawmakers at all levels should understand that they were elected by the people into their various Chambers “to serve the Nigerian masses” and nothing else, especially not to go there and sleep. They should be ready and very willing to make all the necessary changes and adjustments required to become something at least close to that of the counterparts in US Congress or the UK Parliament.
Zik Gbemre, JP.