Chairman, South East Conference of Speakers and Anambra State Speaker, Rita Maduagwu, speaks with Special Correspondent, OKEY MADUFORO, on her experiences in presiding over the state’s legislature in the last one year, relationship of the House with the executive and her opinion on the Grazing Bill debate.
Challenges in office
As a matter of fact, the job has not been easy. The challenges have been great. However, with the quality of members that we have in the House of Assembly, it has been an eventful one year. You know also that not all the 30 members of the Assembly are new into the hallowed chambers. We have synergy among members.
I must admit that members – old and new – have made meaningful contributions towards a successful one year of effective and populist legislation in Anambra State.
At inception, we had this resolve to make a mark in the total development of the state and the members, immediately after inauguration, commenced their legislative responsibilities with vigour. This made us to be the first among our counterparts inaugurated the same day in the country to pass a bill within our first three months in office.
The House has, within one year, passed the 2016 Appropriation Bill, the Anambra State Housing Corporation Bill, Anambra State Vigilante, Security Bill as well as the Tourism and Hospitality Bill 2016, in addition to numerous people-oriented resolutions emanating from motions. The four bills have greatly enhanced good governance and uplifted the living condition of the citizenry. The lawmakers have enthroned participatory democracy in their various constituencies through town hall meetings and constituency briefings which have enriched the quality of our bills and motions.
In the comity of states’ legislatures in Nigeria, the present House of Assembly is playing pivotal role, as I was elected the South East Chairman of Conference of Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in Nigeria. The position has indeed placed both the state legislature and the state government on a higher pedestal and also accorded the government and the people of the state maximum recognition among their counterparts in the country.
Another important area of mention is the uncommon cordial relationship existing between the House and other arms of the government. The House is obviously happy with the executive owing to Governor Willie Obiano’s implementation of all the bills and resolutions of the House.
Need for Conference of Speakers
The Conference of Speakers of the Houses of Assembly in Nigeria is not a new development. It had been there before I became the Speaker of Anambra Assembly. At some point, it became important that the speakers should meet to share ideas and form a common front in the interest of effective legislation in Nigeria.
This, I must tell you, is for the good of Nigeria, our country, and we have continued to record successes so far.
We are going to have our meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. In that meeting, issues would be discussed which generally have to do with the growth and development of our country and our respective states.
Similarly, one of the issues that the Conference of Speakers would be discussing is the financial autonomy of the Houses of Assembly. This matter had in the recent past been discussed and looked into. It is still topmost in our agenda. This does not affect the Senate and House of Representatives because they are already enjoying the autonomy. But it is only the Houses of Assembly that do not enjoy this autonomy. In the recent past, we tried to amend that law, but the then President could not ascent to it before he left office. That explains why we are still on it till now.
The issue of autonomy is very important for effective legislation, and this also helps us in carrying out our oversight functions as lawmakers. People should not see it as a plot by the lawmakers to begin to arm-twist the executive arm of government. Rather, it makes for effectiveness in governance which has the end point of impacting positively on the lives of our people.
The Grazing Bill
I know that the matter would soon go to the House of Assembly, as it is being discussed. But I can say, personally, why do we need grazing bill when people have cattle ranches? People build ranches for their cattle. So, of what importance is the grazing bill? I do not support that idea because it is of no use at all. We can do without grazing bill and for us in the (Anambra) House of Assembly, it is not our priority at all. So we are more concerned with governance for our people and not grazing bill.
