Tag: Ogor

Honourable Leo Ogor of the House of Representatives in this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, talks about some national issues, including the National Assembly politics, PDP’s loss at the polls, strategies for 2019 and affirmative action for women. Excerpts

What is your opinion about the allowance controversy at the National Assembly?

I am a bit concerned when we talk about these allowances. The salaries paid are there for the job carried out by the lawmakers. The allowances are for the legislators, not even allowances per say, they are to carry out specific legislative functions, oversight functions, our oversight responsibilities and public hearings. Except you do not want us to carry out some of our assignments and you people do not want us to do our functions, then it would not take anything away from us. If you people want us to do part time legislation, we are ready. But if you people want us to do good laws, the process of making laws is very expensive.

How would you describe the emergence of Saraki and Dogara in NASS?

Clearly, what you saw there was democracy in place. You saw the will of the people; the right to vote and be voted for. That is freedom of opinion being expressed on the floor of the National Assembly. The constitution guarantees the right to vote and be voted for. Everybody on that floor has the capability, the ability to be whoever the person wants to be, either the Speaker or the President of the Senate. In line with that, we decided to choose those we chose; we defer from the Tambuwal era, the imposition of candidates.

Let me use this opportunity to caution that any time, the National Assembly sees the hands of outsiders, no matter how good that candidate is, it falls within the practice of interference, that candidate either he or she in that process must have lost that election. It therefore means that if you want your candidate to succeed, you should stay away from the House. You saw it in the Tambuwal era; we saw the House go there. Tambuwal was not the choice of the people but because there was a different candidate entirely endorsed by the PDP.

It was even the PDP that led the revolution because we insisted that there must be independence of the legislature. It is guaranteed under section 4 of the constitution that talks clearly about the principles of separation of powers. The executive, the legislature and the judiciary have the same responsibility. A scenario or situation where the executive wants to impose candidates by government would be resisted by this arm of government because we do not often impose candidates on the executive.

How would you describe the role played by Mr. President in all these?

He is a good democrat and I commend him very well for that. He has started well and we want to appeal to him to continue with that process. If he keeps it up, he will go a very long way. But if he doesn’t, he can be assured that there is a very virile opposition ready to push everybody to shape, in line with the democratic principles.

What are some of the new things that you would like to see in the new dispensation?

Respect for the rule of law, transparency, accountability and due process.

What about security?

Yes, security is very, very important.  When you look at the provisions of section 14 sub-section 2, it states that the primary responsibility of any government is security and welfare of the people. That is why any government in place, the issue of security is actually non-negotiable. It is the primary responsibility and every Nigerian must support every government, whether good or bad to ensure security.

What is the implication of the crisis in the National Assembly?

There is no implication. What you have seen clearly is government in action. What you have also seen is development in action, as it borders on our law making process. We clearly want everybody to stay away from the National Assembly because the National Assembly is an arm of government.  Watch out and see what happens in 2019. 2019 is going to be magical, because first and foremost, we are not going to sit down and watch things go the way it has played out. We have allowed Nigerian people to respect what has happened. We are not going to do that gain but at the end of the day, we want democracy to play out. Look out and watch the way we would play the game in 2019. Expect the coming back of PDP in 2019.

Four years is a long time, how will you sustain this?

Why should I expose my strategy?

Women are complaining about the dwindling representation of women in the House this time around?

There is nothing like affirmative Action. Go and study the provisions of section 42 of the Constitution. Freedom of discrimination, there should be nothing like a woman or a man doing anything that borders on the law making process. The law stipulates clearly that woman and man are equal, so if you start giving some preference to men and women, it negates, violates and offends the provisions in section 42 of our constitution.

There is also geographical affirmative action in Nigeria?

That is your own assumption, there is nothing like that and I am telling you that this is what the law says.

There are ministers from every state of the Federation and you say there is nothing like geographical affirmative action?

That is about appointment. I am not in the position to talk about appointments. I am not in the executive, I am a lawmaker and as a lawmaker, I am guided by the provisions of the constitution. I am telling you clearly what section 42 of the constitution states. If you are in doubt, you can get the constitution, read and study the section and after that you would say, yes I am not a man or a woman. I am woman friendly, I have nothing against women.