Quintessential Godswill Akpabio: an example of a patriotic Senate President, by Kola Amzat
Barely two (2) months after the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu as Commander-in-Chief, Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Godswill Akpabio emerged as Senate President, as well as Chairman, national assembly after a rancorous and ill-tempered election that also involved Abdulahi Yari, a former governor of Zamfara state, hugely supported by Orji Kalu, a stupendously ranking member of Upper Chamber and former governor of Abia state.
Even though, the two contestants are veterans and highly accomplished political titans, with incredible rich political antecedents, but looking back, the executive arm, as well as well-wishers of Nigerian project must be thankful and appreciative to providence for the ascendance of former governor of Akwa Ibom state.
Without Akpabio in the saddle, Nigerians could better imaging what would have become the fate of key transformative and development-centric Executive Bills transmitted to national assembly like Fiscal Autonomy for Local Government Authority, Electricity Bill, Tax Reform Bill, Foreign Loan Request, Appropriation Bill, Social Programs Intervention Bill, and of course, how the president would have been able to navigate his way through the upper chamber rigorous sessions to come out of the contentious issues like fuel subsidy removal, as well as floating of domestic currency!
Authors of presidential system of government had one key objective in mind: separation of powers aimed at checks and balances to drive purposeful and result-oriented governance for the benefit of the governed and unnecessary confrontation and undue delay of passage of bills into law on the part of the legislative arm.
Instructively, what less-discerning and few uninformed Nigerians particularly, members of opposition expect is a system that consistently ensures that executive and legislative arms are at daggers drawn and thoughtless battles of supremacy over pedestrians and very trivial matters capable of slowing down the cause of governance, and in some cases, grind governance to a halt, as it perfectly played out during the ignoble and better-forgotten reign of Bukola Saraki as senate president.
With all intents and purposes, the ebullient, result-oriented, indomitable and vastly experienced Akpabio is a perfect and appropriate helmsman for the senate at this critical and defining period, a time when president is consistently transmitting very innovative, nation-changing and development-centric bills to national assembly for passage into law with, the aims and objectives of driving the on-going reform process.
Akpabio, indeed acknowledges that absolutely, nothing could be achieved without executive/legislative collaboration. And, of course, victims of the superiority contest between the two arms would be the masses and downtrodden.
Akpabio himself, was a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, and indeed, the best governor during his glorious era, with uncommon courage, zeal, confidence, grit and vision that he deployed to launch the state to stardom and lofty pedestal that it is, presently, with impressive road networks of modern standard across the state, building of medical infrastructures, building primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of contemporary standard all over the state, construction of Godswill Akpabio stadium, that has become the bride of the nation, and more importantly, ensuring high confidence level for the teeming youths of the state.
The former minister of Niger Delta always bring his vast experience in politics as former commissioner, former governor, former minister and former senator, onto the affairs of the senate at plenary sessions.
His style is unique and simple: urgency, no story at plenary, no pandering to diversionary and irrelevancies and essentially, result driven.
There are Bills, whether sponsored by executive or even, those introduce by other members that Akpabio wouldn’t dissipate energy on, to ensure their passage, especially, if they’re purposed to advance the cause of governance, as well as aimed at benefitting the citizenry.
On the other hand, there are Bills that suffer early rejection, even, from the First Reading on account of their shallowness and emptiness, at addressing the challenges confronting the nation.
It’s on account of above instances that few less-discerning and uninformed minds are referring to Akpabio’s senate presidency as rubber stamp.
Nigerians who acknowledge the workings of senate in democratic setting would never join this fray.
This writer would like to be educated which of the Executive Bill that had gone through the Rubicon of senate plenary is not worthy of been assented into Act by the president? Fiscal Autonomy for Local Government Authority, Electricity Bill, CBN Reform Bill, NNPCL privatization Bill, Foreign Loan Bill, Increased of monthly allocation from FAAC to all 3 tiers of government, Students’ Loan Bill, Regional Development Commission Bills.
For the avoidance of doubt, senate under Akpabio have passed more Bills just within 16 or 17 months of its inauguration than the combined tenures of Ahmed Lawan and Bukola Saraki.
Without doubt, Akpabio senate presidency could be regarded as most people-centric, result-oriented, purpose-driven, and, yet, peaceful in recent history.
Conclusively, it’s important to applaud the vision, proactive-ness and deft move of the president who also contributed in orchestrating the emergence of former Akwa Ibom senate governor.
This writer would like to submit that those Nigerians that pre-occupy their thoughts with the school of thought that president has no business to influence the choice of helmsman of senate obviously belong to the past. Their reasoning is archaic.
A couple of weeks ago, American president-elect, Donald Trump significantly influenced the election of the new USA Senate President, even before his swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Jan 20th.
As Chief Godswill Akpabio continues his reign at the Upper Chamber and Chairman, national assembly, we beckon on Almighty God to continually grant him discerning heart, excellent wisdom and intellect, as well as divine protection require to lead one of the most difficult senate across the globe, and ultimately collaborate with the president to deliver on his promises to the nation.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,
09077509348.
