Understanding roles of our elected Legislators. Kudos to Sen. Niyi Adegbonmire, Derin Adesida . By Prince Dr Wumi Akintide
Understanding roles of our elected Legislators. Kudos to Sen Niyi Adegbonmire, Derin Adesida
Senator Niyi Adegbonmire and Derin Abiodun Adesida as representatives of Akure in the Lower and the Upper House of the National Assembly had done what Napoleon could not do in moving the needle on the establishment of of the FUTA Teaching Hospital and on having the Institute of Agriculture, Akure upgraded and elevated to a full-fledged Federal University of Agriculture in due course and in making Laws and doing the confirmation of Presidential Nominees and serving in important Committees of both Chambers with honor and integrity and hard work.
That is their principal role as legislators and they have done pretty good in those activities from all I am able to see from a distance
Awarding scholarships to children of poor constituents or doling out money to political jobbers and contractors who extort political office holders are all a side attraction to their main function as legislators. They have to do it because poverty is just too pervasive in Nigeria and people are cutting corners to make money from our politicians who are running for public office. They extort them because they know they are mostly running for office to empty the Nigerian Treasury because they think the great majority of our politicians are very corrupt but I will be the first to submit that there are a few exceptions to that rule.
Digging Bore Holes, painting Health Centers and constructing rural roads and buying transformers and Meters to improve power supply in communities of their constituents should not be their role.
That is the role of Government or the Executive but in many of our states in Nigeria, legislators are being forced to be playing roles that, strictly speaking, do not belong to them.
Being a good Senator is a position that requires cognate experience and seniority and longevity.
It is not a position to be changed every 4 years.
That is why good senators like Robert Kennedy and Joseph Biden had served no less than 36 years in the U.S. Senate before attempting to to run for President. Senator Thurmond had actually served for 42 years in the U.S. Senate before retirement.
Being a good Senator in America simply means making the job a life career where they all can make a lot of difference to the lives of their constituents by making Laws that ultimately help the people.
Those suggesting that we need new comers are being disingenuous. If they truly understand and assimilate the role of legislators, they would not be rooting for a new comer who has not been tested and proved to replace an old hand like Senator Niyi Adegbonmire and Representative Derin Adesida who have both proved their own mettle..
My role is to tell you the truth as I know it.
It is all up to you to make up your own mind and to take your own decision.
I have no control over that.
Prince Dr. Wumi Akintide a political commentator writes from Oyemekun Terrace New York City
