By Victoria Ngozi Ikeano
By no means did Godswill Akpabio, president of Nigeria’s 10th Senate, get his current position on a gold platter. From the very outset when he indicated interest in the post, he was met with some stiff opposition. In particular, his predecessor, Senator Ahmad Lawan, vehemently opposed him on the ground that he breached the Senate’s rules in becoming the Senate’s Minority Leader during the span of the 9th Senate. According to their rules, only ranking members are to vie for leadership positions. But Akpabio, a first-time senator (having just won election in his Akwa Ibom senatorial district under the opposition PDP), ignored this longstanding rule and put himself forward for the position. His PDP colleagues and the party concurred; apparently having convinced them that he was the best man to speak up for the party, having been a former governor and former chairman of the Governors’ Forum. What is more, Akpabio has the gift of the gab. Whether this is a positive or negative for him is now debatable because his ‘talking prowess’, which is often laced with wry jokes, is not sitting well with many people and may land him in trouble. Former Senate President Lawan’s grouse against Akpabio was that a legislator who could break the rules of an Assembly whose fundamental function is lawmaking is not worthy of heading the National Assembly. On point of principle, Lawan had a case.
Then there was another set of senators who opposed Akpabio on the grounds that he was not a progressive. Progressives are members of parties, especially the ACN, ANPP and CPC, which merged into APC. In particular, core progressives are those that have remained with progressive parties throughout this Fourth Republic and never crossed over to the PDP, which is considered a conservative party. Those that defected from the PDP to the APC are viewed with some suspicion. This suspicion is heightened by the experience in the 9th Senate when Senator Bukola Saraki, a defector from PDP to APC then, became Senate President. Saraki’s tenure was marked by friction between the executive and legislature, which was said to have slowed down governance. Thus, many senators yearned for a true progressive to be made president of the 10th Senate-cum-chairman of the National Assembly. And Akpabio did not quite fit the bill.
The position of Senate President was zoned to the South and micro-zoned to the South-South zone because the South-West had already produced President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while the South East zone was ‘disqualified’ as it voted en mass for another candidate rather than the incumbent President. And Akpabio was the only ranking senator in this zone as the rule says only ranking senators can vie for the post. In the end Akpabio emerged Senate President and chairman of the National Assembly. One can argue that fate smiled on him.
However, in recent times, many people have had cause to doubt if Akpabio has been discharging his duties responsibly as Senate President. This is mainly due to some of his speeches, which are inappropriate and smack of disrespect. After their inauguration and they got down to work, the senators were soon due for their first recess. This entailed giving each of them leave allowances and other bonuses. For senators and other legislators, this involved hefty sums of money. In the last plenary session to bid them bye for the recess, Senator Akpabio, beaming with smiles from his high chair, told the assembled senators something to the effect that some prayers had been sent to them in their envelopes to enable them enjoy themselves.
This is trivial. Senators are supposed to be high-ranking individuals of society, responsible citizens that have come to Abuja to discuss and legislate on serious matters of how to move the nation forward as well as how to impact their constituents with the dividends of democracy. It is not a place for inconsequential talk of wining, dining and wifing. These are private, corner talks. By urging the senators to enjoy themselves during the recess, the Senate President directed their attention to selfish desires rather than giving them motivational talk that would spur them to selfless service to their people and the nation at large; a speech that would have tickled their patriotic zeal. In this the Senate President failed as a leader. A leader should always draw peoples’ attention to higher goals and lead them to things that are of higher value.
At a huge gathering of people from apparently all local government areas of Akwa Ibom to mark his birthday at the state’s stadium, the Senate President’s conduct and speech lacked true humility. And at the funeral of the Wigwes, the late chairman of Access Holding whose wife and son perished with him in a helicopter crash in the United States, the Senate President inappropriately turned the solemn occasion to a political spat with host governor Sim Fubara. Even if Governor Fubara had started the political talk, Senator Akpabio as a leader, Senate President, should have riveted peoples’ attention to the demand of the occasion, namely, a deep reflection of everyone’s conduct during his/her earthly life. More importantly, as Nigeria’s number three citizen, he should have in his speech urged the distinguished audience to at all times and circumstances trust in the wisdom, love and mercy of the Almighty Creator. He could then have replied Fubara privately after the sombre event.
And most recently, commenting on the gruesome murder of of some 16 soldiers in Delta State, Akpabio hinted that it was the handiwork of foreign mercenaries. Observers and experts were flabbergasted by his statement. This was even as the Army high command had said that investigations were still ongoing to unravel circumstances of the heart-rending event. Apparently, the Senate President blurted out that statement without first thinking about its implications.
Distinguished Senator Akpabio, having now ascended to a much higher position, should distinguish between what should be said publicly and privately in his utterances. He should weigh his words carefully before speaking. Also, our Senate President should strive to elevate his public speech to one that adds value, not dwelling on frivolities and dishing our dry jokes. I wish him well.
•Ikeano writes via [email protected]