The jet age parliamentarians

Nigerians should be very proud of their parliamentarians if visual representation is the mark of excellence. The lawmakers wear the latest designer traditional attires and delicately walk in comfort in finest European leather shoes. The princes and princesses march into the auditorium of sophists as if on a fashion parade in Milan.  The wall of the Assembly embraces the show with grace.  The vast openness inside is hollow.

House leaders credibly boast about the many bills they have successfully passed into laws.  Ironically, a critic of the Nigerian situation may argue that it is like filling a wastebasket with junk legal papers.  There is no visible point to the effects of these laws on the masses.  Members of the House polish their public persona with fine language.  They appear on television and talk storm about strengthening the nation’s democracy.  When the warfront gets tight, they escape into their havens in Abuja. Nigerians question the cost of pampering the lawmakers like an endangered species.  They are quick to respond that their role is to make laws.  Maybe the unemployed youths should crowd the gate of the National Assembly for instance and look for scraps of passed laws to build their lives.

The legislative arm has power in a three-tier system of government.  Surprise they always win when it comes to fighting for huge salary increase and other benefits for themselves.  The problem is that the members have no regard for the welfare of Nigerians in sum.  Most see the National Assembly as a redoubt for redundant honchos, an exotic place for influential politicians to hibernate while they retool their career.  Ex-governors especially find the House convenient to buy time to mitigate their exploits while in office.
Some legislators have distinguished themselves.  They showed that the members could influence national politics and attract federal projects to their constituencies.  The conscientious arbiters make judicious use of their constituency allowance. Contrastingly, captains of oil boom politics would rather stuff their war chest with fund allocated for their constituency projects in readiness for election battle.

They know their dark route back to the hallowed chamber.  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been incapable of closing the back door.  Godfathers use their loot from the national treasury to finance election frauds.  Nigerians perpetually watch to see if the God that created this endowed nation will abandon it in backwardness.

Pius Okaneme,
Umuoji, Anambra state.