With Ayobrown Adetunji
He who knows nothing doubts nothing – “Buhari is to decide the next Senate President for us” was statement credited to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. Truly, the weak inflict more harm than the wicked persons….if indeed it becomes so, then this would be an interesting case study for many students of political science and the likes I must confess.
Strong conviction precede great action, one cannot but imagine that the red chamber, with over a hundred men and women of integrity will have to wait for another arm in choosing its leader; this rather brings the integrity of the members to question. You can imagine when he said “any decision the president makes, we will all fall in line and abide”….coming from a two-term member of the upper legislative chamber, Omo-Agege who represents Delta Central senatorial district was disheartening.
‘Any decision president makes’ – he said, they (National Assembly members) will all fall in line and abide, coming from a party we all expected to lift the nation out of its present predicaments and woes.
True measurement of a man should be of his height of ideals and stand, but may be the APC is thinking otherwise. “Anybody who is going to be Senate president, in the 9th Senate, must be somebody who is loyal to Mr. President and the party” – many never believe that a senator can say such. Still receiving bashing from all angles, loyalty instead of development, loyalty instead of great ideals will do Nigeria no good and as such is not allowed.
Many a times, the impossible is simply the untried, he said “I am very hopeful that this time around, Mr President will step in and decide not only the zone that will produce the Senate President and the leadership but also who should be. Many reacted saying there is no need for the legislature if it is the president that will dictate to it.
Little wondered why they make sovereignty so mysterious in order to prevent party members from taking opportunity. “The Senate president will be determined by Mr President who will indicate to us through the party who he wants to work with”, only he who the president want can become the next Senate President Omo-Agege said. To say the least, this is not only undemocratic, it is also a sad development for the country.
Success in life depends upon the quality of our thoughts, Omo-Agege had shown that it is useless for the sheep to pass a resolution in favour of a vegetarian, while wolf remains of a different opinion. Quoting his words, “the era of allowing renegades who rode on the back of Mr. President and of the party to go in there and trade the party’s mandate, I think that era is gone. What else do you expect from a mace snatching senator? This is the submissions of many Nigerians as they reacted. “There are a lot of us in the Senate who are returning to the next senate who fits into that position”, but Senator Omo-Agege think they had opposition leader in the 8th Senate because of different opinions and stands but indeed he has disqualified himself and others who returned. Indeed in the social realm, appearances are truly the barometer of almost all of our judgements and we must never be misled into believing otherwise.
As provided in the constitution, independence of each arm of government is sacrosanct and none should be under any other arm…for proper checks and balances, meaning no arm is inferior to the other. Loyalty to our constitution instead of the President should rather be what our ninth assembly should be concerned about and how to make the country better.
Truly, there was a never-ending game that required vigilance and tactical thinking within APC…it is called civilised war. Some members want Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avert repetition of the 2015 saga that led to the emergence of Sen. Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate, with many others affirming that the 8th senate was truly independent, which was good for the country’s democracy.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moment of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in time of challenges and controversy. Martin Luther King (Jr) described the likes of Omo-Agege. Many Nigerians believe that President Muhammadu Buhari should not be the determinant in who becomes the next head of the Senate and chairman of the National Assembly, if truly our democracy is evolving and progressing. If there were principles and fixed laws, nations would not changed them, see the Nigeria 1999 Constitution as amended.
A peace treaty seemed a ‘fait accompli’ – a friend tweeted. There are times when it is unwise to be silent…knowing that the truth will come out later, APC should be careful in the short term by hugging the limelight. Silence could lead to suspicion and even insecurity.
A quarrelsome dog has his ears lacerated, a repeat of what happened in the 8th Assembly is likely if APC is yet to learn its lessons. Because many still believe in doing what others said cannot be done if development must be attained. Success is a an effort resulting from evolved creative mind, though he claimed he was not aware if the APC had zoned the position of the Senate president to any region of the country, but had shown us that any Tom, Jack and Harry can be put there in as much as he is loyal to President Buhari. Truly, a pauper is no friend to the rich, as fool to the wise, nor coward to the brave, so when you are crushed by those around you who are not so foolish, was his case…though, Omo Agege may seem or thought to be saying the reality, but nothing significant may never be achieved. That the Nigeria upper legislative arm of government is waiting for President Muhammadau Buhari to choose for it is not only ridiculing but retrogressive and also embarrassing to the Nigeria in the committee of nations.
