The unfolding power play at the National Assembly has attracted attention of Nigerians more than ever before. The reason is not far-fetched; the masses are beginning to know the implication of the choice of Lawmaker that speaks for their interests. The fight was not new, but the level of debate emanating from the emergence of current leadership of the National Assembly has been raising critical discourse.
I am actually not surprised to see how people are reacting to this with bitterness. They branded the Federal Lawmakers as ‘greedy’, ‘self-serving’, ‘power drunk’ and in some cases ‘thieves’. They described as disgraceful and shameful the current fiasco going on at both red and green chambers, claiming that the nation is severely suffering from leadership deficit.
To argue in favour of normality of the present scenario might meet severe condemnation on the path of Nigerians. But why will anyone expect a House totally free of rancour as if the Parliament is expected to be the most sacred and safe place to run business. For anyone having such expectation, I will request him to speak to Julius Caesar on this issue.
Debate is the fundamental principle of legislature; for and against teams assembled to iron out matters in order to produce good resolutions, though not in all cases. The Chamber is likened to courtyard where power stands as threshold for all forms of achievements as a Lawmaker; and wherever argumentreigns as the main business of the day, brawls are just around the corner, knocking!
Before now, no one cares about legislatures but presently everyone cares and it is a good sign that awareness is growing and our democracy steadily evolving; am sure when next we queue at the polling booth, the choice of who represents us will be sacrosanct.
Legislative scuffles are not limited to Nigeria alone. As a matter of fact, worst legislative brawls were not recorded in the history of Nigeria’s democracy. Indeed, around the world heated parliamentary debates have, on occasion, turned violent.
To witness severe parliament fights, a trip must be taken to Ukraine where yelling, pulling, pushing, shouting and fighting are very common. In some cases, pillars which support foundations of parliament were pulled causing a collapse of structures upon Lawmakers themselves.
Further visits to Georgia, Argentina, South Korean, Pakistani, and Taiwanese Parliaments will reveal House of commotion loaded with free for all fights.
In November 2011, Lawmaker Kim Sun-dong of the Democratic Labour Party detonated a tear gas canister towards the chairman’s seat, to try to stop the ruling Grand National Party’s move to ratify a bill on a free trade agreement with the US, at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea.
In another encounter, the spokesman for Greece’s far-right party Golden Dawn, threw a glass of water at Rena Dourou, a female leftist party member, on live television on June 7, 2012 and yet slapped another opposition, causing a political uproar and leading a prosecutor to seek his arrest.
What do you make out of a pro-democracy lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung who threw a cloud-shaped cushion at Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary John Tsang to demand a universal retirement protection scheme during the annual budget report at the Legislative Council in Hong Kong February 27, 2013. The sign reads ”No more nonsense. Set up universal retirement protection scheme now”.
The top five parliamentary riots were recorded in Turkey, South Korean, Taiwanese, Ukrainian and Indian Parliaments. As a matter of fact, the great British Parliament is not excluded of legislative brawls.
Much this said,the nature of purpose for legislative brawls differs from country to country. It is sad that in Nigeria, in most cases, lawmakers fight only about sharing something. In some other countries, scuffles have erupted based on policy issues, though not without interest in something, which is fundamental.
While agreeing that there must be disagreements, the fundamental question is “where do we place the interest of the constituents?”
Today, the parliament is being made to lose respect. Many lawmakers are unconsciously debasing integrity of the institution that earns us the title of ‘Honourable’ or ‘Distinguished’ members of the society. Also, the rules of the party are being thrown away at slightest consideration of power, forgetting that fundamentally every legislator already has embedded in him both political and legislative powers combined togetheronce he is voted into office.
Speaking about the larger picture, there is the school of thought that argues that party should have refrained from dabbling into selection of leaders of the upper and lower chambers. This argument is so riddled with flaw you can liken it to asking the eye not to shed tearsas long as it is not the part of the body that was hit.
Talking about the supremacy of the party, you can liken it to a game of Chess whereby the puns in the attacking force are all elements of advances on and defence against the opponent. Whenever a pun stills, it does no good to its constituency. Senator Saraki suddenly became a pun that could not be used to advance the cause of its constituency (APC), and at the same time it is not playing a trusted role capable of preventing imminent onslaught from the opposing constituency, it stills.
Historically, constituting self as a pebble that one’s constituency has to cope with usually has dare consequence. In worst case scenario, the constituency (APC in this case) can choose to purge itself even using a painful surgical method; but importantly, if this happens, the political future of the purged pebble (being a Saraki) might just end there. Defecting outrightly could even be safer than the thumb card the Senate President is flagging. If we have had a President who is keen at political push, the Saraki caucus would, after a while, be withdrawn back into the party ship, allowing the supposed smart red chamber leader to drown. The era of Obasanjo’s dislodgement of several party Chairmen and Senate Presidents is still green in our memory. Among the lieutenants of Dr. Saraki, no one wishes to lose out his political power if Mr President was interested in this game.
In the entire game, the ascension of Saraki into Senate Presidency only makes him a Castle or Knight bringing back my Chess power play analysis, but it never made him the Queen in the game. The personality being castigated without him uttering a response in the entire scenario understands the game and the moves. The central clue for unfolding political game earned a title in Bogul that the entire political students must seek history about.
Silent, calm, unruffled, calculated and patient, the owner of the entire game knows how to use patience and intensity to let the world knows when the Castle or the Knight is picked before the game is over.
There are too many angles to the unfolding situation; there are many agenda running all at the same time. The Adamawa factor is always taken care of so no lasting threat is feasible from that power bloc; the North/South alliance for advancing the cause of the party is yet to even recognise many political puns serving as lieutenants of the current Senate President talking about taking major decisions in the party. And when the die is cast, what is left is the sight of many broken pebbles. The spoil of war shall be many with no one interested to pick them because they will be of no use in the future political equation. Time is all we need to see a clearer picture of how the entire equation stands.
Hon Segun Olulade a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Epe Constituency II
