LEGISLATING FOR A GREATER DELTA STATE

I DO not hold a copyright to the headline of this piece. The inspiration came from the theme of the 2012 calendar of the Delta State House of Assembly, DTHA, which, to any discerning and concerned observer of affairs in the current dispensation, encapsulates the mindset and modus operandi of the honourable members of the House.

A salient question that should engage the minds of all is whether this set concept of ‘’Legislating for A Greater Delta State’’ is being actualised or not.

One year on, the leadership and honourable members of the  DTHA have cause to roll out the drums and celebrate a session of robust and people-friendly legislating that has played a big role in the uplift of the living standard of all Deltans. In addition to a long list of law-making and other interventions, the honourable members recorded a memorable first amongst the 36 state legislative houses in Nigeria.

A landmark achievement of the present session of the House of Assembly is the ground-breaking deliberations and passage into law of the current Delta State Appropriate Bill in record time.

It is of note that Delta State has enjoyed relative peace after the needless inter-ethnic and fratricidal strife of the early 2000s. To consolidate on this climate of peace and stifle the pockets of security challenges of urban terrorism and kidnappings, the Anti-Terrorism and Anti-kidnapping Bill is already in the legislative process of being passed into law. This will ensure that the twin crimes attract capital punishment to deter perpetrators.

Significantly, on being elected the Speaker of the House, Victor Ochei ordered the biometric screening of all the staff of the House of Assembly through the House of Assembly Service Commission to ensure premium service, identify those actually working and remove the scourge of ghost and redundant workers on the payroll of the House. This has freed scarce state funds for use in other pressing and deserving areas of development.

For one who last visited Asaba, the capital city of Delta State, two years ago, my Thursday, March 22, 2012 visit afforded me an opportunity to observe the monumental strides in the areas of infrastructure and human capital development, and sustainable security. One edifice that caught my attention and subsequent admiration was the Delta State House of Assembly complex. It will not be an overstatement if I say that the signboard at the precincts of the Assembly premises allayed my fears that I may have been looking at another building but Delta State House of Assembly.

The squalid and stagnant environment of the premises had given way to an array of paved side walks and courtyard, covered drains, well-laid-out lawns with carefully trimmed and luxuriant grass and beautiful flowers that elevated the general aesthetics of the whole complex. A collection of objets d‘art litter the lawns of the House of Assembly showcasing the rich cultural heritage and proud history of the people of Delta State. The interior décor of the complex is simply enchanting and neat, one that gives a convivial ambience and class to the working environment.

The buildings that comprise the Assembly complex have either undergone rehabilitation or outright construction with eye-pleasing and avant-garde architectural designs, fittings and furniture. To enhance the security of the complex, modern surveillance gadgets have been put in place to protect and safeguard this crucial arm of governance in the state.

In this new dispensation, emphasis has been placed on the need to meet the positive challenges of global trends in Information and Communication Technology that will fast-track the installation of an efficient, effective and durable e-governance option. In this wise, the computerisation of all the departments, units and sections of the House of Assembly is being aggressively pursued.  These and many other instances of the proactive roles played and the critical interventions made by DTHA has led observers of the activities of the House to critically examine the major index (or indices) responsible for the quantum leap in its roles in the functional and good governance of Delta State.

A summation of the findings points to the quality of the House leadership and the complementary roles of the honourable members who are genuinely united in their goals of Greater Delta State.

Good leadership inspires people, manages challenges and contradictions, withstand adversaries, survives upheavals, mobilizes and motivates people, etc. In fact, you can promote growth, peace, stability, sustainable development and further the goals of democracy with good leadership. A good leader is conscious of his position as first among equals (Primus inter pares).A contributory factor to the giant strides made so far in the House of Assembly is the emergence of the current Speaker.

A cursory look at the ascendancy, pedigree and track record of Ochei’s humble roots, education and careers in business and politics, points to the quiet emergence of a rare leader whose present sojourn in politics is driven by his desire to contribute to the uplift of his people.

The other factor is the complementary roles being played by the other members of the House leadership echelon and the honourable members who do not play politics with the sustainable development of Delta State and its people.

As they say: A tree cannot make a forest. The House, as presently constituted, has a collection of some of the brightest brains from the public and private sectors of the nation’s economy who are deploying these combined arsenals of intelligence, diligence and commitment for the greater good of all Deltans.

*The piece was written last year by Mr. AMECHI OKOLO, a public affairs analyst