Senate or Sinnate?

What is the difference between a sinnate and a senate? You don’t need to search far. If the overwhelming majority of social media warriors in Nigeria had their way; the spelling of the word ‘senate’ would change for good. The numerous sins of the Nigerian upper legislative chamber, the senate, have convinced all and sundry […]

What is the difference between a sinnate and a senate? You don’t need to search far. If the overwhelming majority of social media warriors in
Nigeria had their way; the spelling of the word ‘senate’ would change for good. The numerous sins of the Nigerian upper legislative chamber, the senate, have convinced all and sundry that the correct spelling ought to be sinnate – as befits a House of Sin.
The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ought to be composed of men and women of unimpeachable integrity. But it is not. Now let’s get things clear – I am not saying that every senator in Nigeria is a villain. There are good men and women in the National Assembly but they are far outnumbered by the carpetbaggers, ballot-riggers, blackmailers and hire wire fraudsters. By their fruits you shall know them.
The Nigerian public generally feels that the senate is an unnecessary upper layer in the national assembly. In the last 17 years of our return to democracy, the senate in particular has drawn the ire of the people for the level of disconnect it regularly exhibits. We have saddled ourselves with a chamber full of men and women whose best years are behind them.
When the news of the purchase of 108 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV V6 2016 model by the Nigerian Senate broke, it was proof, if any was needed, that these so-called men and women of distinction are distinguished only in their insensitivity. Revelations also showed that the vehicles were over-invoiced such that a unit that sold for about N17 million in the open market was being acquired at N35.1 million. Total expended was put at N3.8 billion.
And there is a hint that the price has been adjusted upwards to accommodate the rise in exchange rate. Now, one vehicle is put at N55 million. This acquisition came on the heels of the earlier one done by Senate President Saraki who, last February, reportedly purchased official vehicles at the cost of N330 million.
Our senators are united when they want to share loots. The 108 senators don’t have problems agreeing across party lines whenever they gather to swindle the people. I am still waiting for the ruling All People’s Congress, APC, to publicly instruct its senators not to have anything to do with the overpriced vehicles. I would also like to hear what Senator Ben Murray-Bruce would say about this act of betrayal. He it was who purchased some SUVs from Innoson Motors to encourage made-in-Nigeria automobiles.
Companies like Peugeot Automobile and Innoson employ thousands of Nigerians and contribute immensely to the economy, but for our senators, charity must always begin abroad. Their illogic is that if it isn’t foreign, it can’t be good.
Just like children, our senators want new toys, but they don’t want locally made ones.
Last week, Sahara Reporters did us the favour of publishing the phone numbers of all the senators with the hope that Nigerians would make their feelings known to the insensitive legislators. Some people have taken up the challenge and the results are eye-opening. While one empress felt insulted by the query and retorted that her constituents should not grudge her now as she had purchased her victory with the cash they collected during the last campaigns, another senator shot straight: On my honour, he said, I will not abandon the cause of the people for mundane things like vehicles. Yet another senator literally foamed in the mouth as he spewed invectives at the unseen interlocutor for having the temerity to query his actions. ”Who gave you my phone number?” asked the former deputy-governor-turned-senator. In a different clime, the process of his recall would have gathered steam by now. One of the most civilized responses came from a young Senator who took his time to explain where he stood and thank the enquirer.
Members of the National Assembly are always quick to tell anyone who cares to listen that they are one of the tripods (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) on which democracy stands. In this wise, they think they have a right to spend almost as much as the executive. They even want to execute contracts under the euphemism of constituency projects. Should the judiciary also now claim that as an arm of government, it should be handed a nice slice of the budget to do as it pleases?
When our senators are not doctoring the national budget, they are depleting our scarce foreign exchange. See how they troop to the tribunal in support of their president who is facing a criminal charge at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. See how they defend graft. See how low their moral standards are.
It is time we re-engineer this democracy by scrapping the superfluous chamber of the national assembly, the senate.
The change we desire
Nigerians ought to be given a chance to determine the kind of change they desire. My opinion is that we must make room for the other side of any story. The first guys to call for re-negotiation of the unity of the United Kingdom from the now Republic of Ireland were publicly executed like common criminals. But the change which the ‘unpatriotic’ Irish citizens sought eventually came to be. Another example: In spite of the best efforts of Soviet ‘patriots’ to keep the communist country together, the country went kaput.
Nation states are man-made either by negotiation or by force of arms.
Either way, it is dialogue that sustains them. Now the change promised Nigerians by Buhari and APC is welcome. Having been given a national mandate to lead us for four years, there is need to follow him through his planned change route with patience but not unquestioningly. We must rise above name calling and bad mouthing those who oppose Buhari. All should pray for him to succeed.