Honourable Sylvester Ogbaga is a third term lawmaker representing Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
He is currently serving third tenure and in the National Assem bly.
In this interview in Abakaliki with EGWUAGHA AMARACHUKWU, Ogbaga who is aspiring for a fourth term advocates elongation for serving lawmakers in upward of twenty to thirty years in the National Assembly.
Excerpts:
What inspired you to pick the nomination form again when you are serving your third term in the House of Representatives? When it comes to a lawmaker going beyond second tenure, people also misunderstand that.
How can one person serve more than two tenures.
The Constitution of the country is not like the Bible.
Most people do not read the constitution.
The leadership we have in this country, especially at the centre, if you listen to Mr.
President he has always said we should set aside the rule of law for the purpose of national interest.
When you define national interest you will see that it is protected by the law of the land, and if you set aside the constitution that is where you derive the national interest.
The constitution provides and protects and it becomes a complex issue.
Within me, I termed two things as the major reasons for picking the forms today.
We need to educate our youths; we need to educate our people on the roles of the legislature.
There are things that have not been disclosed to them.
I went to the National Assembly, the 8th Assembly as opposition.
And the role of the opposition is a very peculiar type.
It has not been very easy for me.
Being an old legislature, you are already conversant with the rules and regulations of the legislature.
You also know what happens in the nooks and crannies of the national assembly, and to the best of my ability, I did a soft copy of what I call my scorecard and what I have been able to achieve within the period of time I have been there.
You are seeking re-election for Abakaliki/ Izzi federal constituency.
What has been your experience? It is not very easy; it is not very simple because people look up to you as the eyes of so many wise, rich, intelligent and educated people.
I have to protect these people.
And the people you are protecting are people outside politics.
They are elites who do not think about leadership or politics.
They are the pastors, the reverend gentlemen and the smaller ones.
When you ask the ones growing what they want to be in the future, some of them will tell you Senator and governors.
To these ones, we have to set a good example.
We need to be a succor to so many people because people look at us as role model.
Beyond that also, people expect what you cannot provide.
What difference do you intend to make as a lawmaker at the national assembly if reelected? I listened to one of my co-contestants when he was saying that he was going to give each delegate 15 kilometers of road.
One, he did not even think of what will be his first assignment, because good laws lead to good governance.
Before now, there have been misconception in the public by the media about the wages and salaries of national legislatures.
Their salaries are always misinterpreted.
What is your take that some lawmakers have been scored below performance because of their inability to attract constituency projects to their people? When we got to the national assembly at the 6th assembly, they introduced what is called constituency projects.
And that has been the basic discussion in any place you meet a lawmaker.
But it is not as simple as people think about.
When you have a committee called constituency outreach, you do not do constituency projects by yourself.
By the constitution if I carry out any project in this regard, it is liable to imprisonment.
But it is the truth.
The role we play here is that if there is a particular fund, you can prescribe what it will be used for.
Let’s take for instance education, even until now, despite what our leaders are doing, some pupils still stay under the tree to learn.
If you have passed through this process, you must look at some schools in the villages.
Take for instance, we say let’s have a block of four classrooms somewhere.
You will only mention that and the people will tell you how much it will cost.
Your own is to make sure that the four classrooms block is constructed.
You know also that you must send somebody to monitor the project.
You do not even nominate the contractor.
Can you mention one constituency project you have been able to influence to those you are representing? I was a victim of an abandoned property that took me to where I did not like.
Like in one school in Agu Unuhu here where we have three classrooms block, the principal’s office and the VIPs.
The contractor did up to the lintel level and disappeared.
Every effort in the ministry of works to discover the contractor failed till now.
And what are my people saying? They said they gave me money to build the school, but the structure is not completed.
I have to start doing it bits by bits.
If I get my allowance, I will do one thing until it is completed and I commissioned it.
So, it is not very easy for anybody to go to the national assembly because a lot of people have done this, some failed and others succeeded.
You are seeking re-election for the fourth time.
Do you see the people supporting your ambition? Today, it is not about the issue of the member representing Abakaliki/Izzi federal constituency is doing very well, it is all about that he has been there for a very long time.
And the question is that what are the benefits of having somebody staying there for a very long time.
We are copying other countries.
If you talk about UK, about US, some members did about 25 to 30 years.
And when they retired and say they are tired of doing it, the people will say no, that you are not going.
They will put you at the back bench.
What are their roles? When they get tired of doing the normal work, if there are critical issues to be discussed and members of the House are not getting it right, they will call off the sitting and adjourn temporarily, meet with the people at the bench, discuss with them and find a solution to the problem.
They will convene again and look at the solution.
But our own here is that we have had this member there, let us send another member to go there and enjoy.
It is not the issue of enjoyment.
What significant role have you played as a ranking member of the national assembly in the interest of the nation? During the quit notice issued to the south easterners by the northerners, I was the only member who represented national assembly in the interest of the nation.
We conducted the Igbo round the country.
I did it not because I was enjoying it, but for national interest.
You know that the wealth of the Igbo in the north is so great much more than what we have in the east.
I have always told those who are coming for the first time that you cannot get it right from the beginning.
It is very difficult for a first timer to get it right.
It is difficult for any of our member who has documentary of what he has done to be recognized within four years.
For the parliament to begin to recognize you, it is not within four years.
It is even difficult even for eight years.
The time you can benefit is when you can call a minister and say, I learnt you are doing this, what is our quota? If he tries to snob you, you raise a motion because you know what to do.
Lobby people and say a lot of things and bring him to the floor.
A new member cannot do that.
We must provide opportunity for people to come in but there must be a progression.
You do not say these people have gone four years, let these people clear and let these people come in.
It is at the detriment of the state where they come from.
