The Divided Kingdoms

From the past, the House of Representatives under the leadership of Right Honourable Umar Ghali Na’abba became a thorn in the flesh of the then Executive arm of government led by the indefatigable general, President Olusegun Obasanjo. They engaged themselves in accusations and counter-accusations of gross misconduct and abuse of office to which an impeachment notice was nearly serve as the last resort.

The Executive arms of government have it way through the use of it power and the overbearing influence but a greater sacrifice. The allegation leveled against President Obasanjo was the alleged haphazard implementation of the budget, the inadequacies of moral standing and the flagrant misbehavior. The Checks and Balance was in play, the president was checked over the release of an unbudgeted #12Billion owed contractor that handed the building of Abuja National Stadium, etc.

Another echo from the past, the House of Representatives Minority Leader of that time, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila warned/threatened the then executive arms of government of President Goodluck Jonathan:

“If by September 18, the budget performance has not improved to 100 per cent, we shall begin invoke and draw up articles of impeachment against the president by citing section 143 of the 1999 Constitution by which any action of the president defined as ‘gross misconduct by the National Assembly was sufficient grounds to initiate impeachment proceedings against him.’ As a result of the failure, the then co-coordinating Minister and Minister of Finance, Prof. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s failure to appear in person at the public hearing on the implementation of the 2012 budget, the Senators were visibly angry and drawn a battle line…

The present government of Nigeria can be likened to the kingdom that is divided; can it stand or can it be fortress against any war or challenges? From the onset, the National Assembly has pulled away from the entity of unification with the executive arms of government through the election of principal officers that was against the wishes of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC)! June 8, 2015 National Assembly election defeated the interest of the party and as well as that of some stakeholders; the result of that outcome is crisis upon crisis and it breeds various distrust among party men! It created a ghost that hunts whoever partakes in the event either directly or indirectly, power play sometime or especially in Africa breeds contempt and the leaders were hell-bent in taking their own pound of flesh at all cost!

A Professor of Political Science at the prestigious University of Ibadan, Prof. O.B.C. Nwolise, contributed his own opinion toward the way forward on political brouhaha at the center: “There suppose to be what I call a strategic cabinet, different from the kitchen cabinet also different from the political cabinet and Ministers. The strategic cabinet is suppose to be made up of the President, the Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation the National Chairman of the ruling party. That is what a strategic cabinet is all about and is what shows that government is moving with a united purpose.”

Reverse is the case right now, we are running a government of crisis; Economic crisis, Political crisis, moral crisis that involves corruption at the highest level, Judiciary crisis is not exempted! Recently, crisis between the executive arms and that of the Judiciary arms of government was just put to bed but now the squaring up between the Legislatures and the Executives now in front burner! The Presidency and the National Assembly also have various internal and external crisis brewing up; “the grass cutting-gate”, Magu’s indictment letter from the Department of State Security (DSS), etc. to Senator’s Dino and Ndume’s scenarios, Senate President ordeal, etc. The face-off between nominees and the National Assembly is a problem that can affect even the lives of ‘Nobody’ at the grassroots- custom duties for the already imported vehicles, bombardment of various store that stored up rice, etc.

 The country is not being pulled in one direction, the committee set up to look into the face-off between the executive arms of government and their National Assembly counterpart should be headed by neutral which should be about how we can move the Nation forward! It has gone beyond All Progressive Congress affairs. The statesmen should strive toward achieving togetherness and strengthen the bond that must be entrenched in acceptance, tolerance and accommodation.

Alas, Yoruba saying sums it up: “Ile ti a fi ito mo, iri ni yoo woo” (The house that was built with saliva, will be destroyed by the dew)! Where are the founding aims and objectives of Nigeria as a nation? Socratic question for another time! Au revoir!