Despite huge allocations river basins are undeveloped – Sen Sankara
Can we look at your experience so far in the Senate, how has it been? It’s been good so far. My brief experience from the time we were officially inaugurated on the 6th of June 2011 to date has been very rewarding. It has been an action-packed period, especially soon after the constitution of the […]
Can we look at your experience so far in the Senate, how has it been?
It’s been good so far. My brief experience from the time we were officially inaugurated on the 6th of June 2011 to date has been very rewarding. It has been an action-packed period, especially soon after the constitution of the Senate committees, five of which I have the privilege of being a member. They are the committees on Water Resources of which I am the vice chairman, then those of Agriculture, Marine Transport, Health and National Planning.
There is no doubt that the challenges have been enormous, especially with the ever increasing demands of the work of these various committees. I have come to realize that the oversight functions of the Senate in relation to the work of the committees have important bearings on effective legislation and proper implementation of development initiatives.
Along the line, I had the privilege of representing the Senate at the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2011 in Perth, Australia as a delegate of Nigeria. As you are aware, the Nigerian delegation to that meeting was led personally by His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan. The CHOGM 2011 meeting lasted 10 days and to me personally it was a very exciting and rewarding experience. It offered me a great opportunity to broaden my scope on such important issues as international diplomacy, international co-operation for global peace, economic progress and sustainable development. It also offered me great opportunity to see for real how influential Nigeria is on global scene.
What do you consider most rewarding since this Senate was inaugurated?
The most rewarding and reassuring is the calibre of the distinguished senators that constitute this 7th Senate. I realize that the best the nation can be proud of are at present in the Senate. More importantly is the quality of the leadership, men and women of integrity, knowledgeable, focused and determined to give their best in the service of the nation. That is why there is stability and clear sense of direction which is impacting positively on the lives of the people through effective legislation.
How about the bills passed and general discussions on national issues?
At the committee level, within this short period, there has been much progress. At the Senate Committee on Water Resources which I am the Vice-Chairman, we had cause to invite all the River Basins Development authorities under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. Personally, I warned managements of the river basins to sit up and ensure that they guide against the practice of allowing budgetary allocations canvassed by the legislators and approved for constituency projects to lapse without taking proper measures to ensure that such projects were listed and executed accordingly. Of particular note was the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (H-JRBDA) which is located in my constituency. I sternly warned them to be up and doing because it was discovered that in the year 2008 the sum of N2.3 billion allocated to the authority in the budget for constituency projects was allowed to be mopped back into the Federation Account because they failed to take the necessary steps to ensure that the projects were duly executed for the masses. Similarly, in the year 2009, the sum of N300 million budgetary allocation to the same H-JRBDA for constituency projects was negligently allowed to be mopped back into the Federation Account.
This development is not helping matters at all. Because the National Assembly and the Federal Government tried their best to allocate the huge amounts to the River Basins to improve the lives of the people, but due to the apparent negligence of the management at ensuring the execution of the various listed projects, such projects were never executed as the funds were returned to the Federation Account. Although the managing director of the H-JRBDA promised the committee that such negligence would not be repeated, we are going to be vigilant, keep watch to ensure that subsequent allocations for constituency projects are properly utilized for the benefit of the various communities as a deliberate effort to accelerate the development of the nation.
Generally, I have taken steps to establish a good working relationship with my distinguished senator-colleagues with the aim of identifying areas of common interests for maximising legislative duties. Nobody has the monopoly of knowledge. Every human being has to learn something before he or she masters it. Nobody is born with the knowledge of the intricacies of serious processes such as legislation. With each passing legislative day I become more knowledgeable on the intricacies of work in the Senate. We have learnt, we are learning and we are learning very fast. I am very convinced that things are shaping up.
What is the difference between the contemporary National Assembly and the past one?
The 7th National Assembly, particularly the Senate, although it has been in existence for nine months only, has contributed immensely to stabilize the nation’s polity. The maturity of members and particularly the leadership has given us much hope for better days ahead. Despite the prevalence of some key challenging issues, the system has remained consistent and focused which has prepared the ground for steady progress in the remaining three and a half years ahead. There is every reason to envisage that there would be success as the journey progresses.
How do you react to the suggestion in some quarters that the National Assembly, especially the Senate, has not been asserting itself in its relationship with the presidency?
On the contrary, the National Assembly has really asserted itself as a credible partner in governance towards national development. It is the assembly of the representatives of the people drawn from all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT. There is no way a sitting government can attain any semblance of stability without carrying the National Assembly along. There must be some visible level of harmony and cooperation between the government and the legislature for the nation to develop. The constitution of Nigeria is very clear on the duties and responsibilities of the three arms of government; that is, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. In the present setup, I think each arm is very conscious of its responsibilities and limitations, as well as the need for mutual respect and regard for the roles and functions of one another. President Goodluck Jonathan recently invited all the members of the National Assembly to the State House to jointly discuss the issues of national security and proposed removal of oil subsidy. It shows the significance of working together for the national interest. Such initiative creates the atmosphere for dialogue on issues affecting the nation and the general well-being of the people.