Date Published: 09/08/11

100 Days of House: Evaluating Tambuwal, Ihedioha Leadership by  Austin Uganwa

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal

Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha

Tuesday, September 13 th   2011 marks the resumption of the House of Representatives for a new legislative year after a six-week statutory recess. The return of lawmakers will naturally dovetail into the 100 days of the inauguration of the 7 th  Assembly .And also, the assumption of duty by Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

These realities are noteworthy. For one thing, they evoke a compelling need for stock-taking.    For another, they provide veritable signposts for    critical evaluation of the performance quotient of the House and its leadership, thus far, and the identification of the overall policy direction of the command structure of Tambuwal and Ihedioha.    This will in no small way provide Nigerians insight into what to possibly expect in the next four years. 

In retrospect,     Tambuwal and Ihedioha’s ascendancy onto the two top seats in the House was essentially an enormous challenge made possible from within the parliament.   In spite of sustained intrigues orchestrated by the PDP Leadership and the Presidency to stop the duo, members boldly rallied around them, goading them to emerge victorious. This development has markedly set a new democratic  tenor in the election of the House’s presiding officers.     

Despite the avowed political brinkmanship that characterized the election of Tambuwal and Ihedioha, their acceptance rating among members is exceedingly inimitable. Both enjoyed an unprecedented endorsement figure of far more than two-thirds majority of members during election. Tambuwal won with 254 votes out of 344 votes cast.    Ihedioha’s candidature was on the other hand overwhelmingly approved, unopposed.   It was therefore on this populist pedestal that the two commenced the historic journey of leading the House on Monday, June 3 2011. 

This towering approval rating perhaps accounts for the scintillating and sure-footed move exhibited by the new leadership since inception to consolidate its manifest honeymoon with members. In their relationship with members, Tambuwal and Ihedioha’s style has been imbued with openness, comradeship, inclusive and broadminded. This is evidenced in the large number of members who stream to their offices and residences at the end of each plenary session and legislative day. These have largely reinforced their increasing affinity and bond with members. This leadership approach has become imperative to provoke desirable compromise and harmony necessary for a fruitful beginning.

Tambuwal-led team appears to have learnt within the 100 days from the mistakes of the past. Unlike some of    their predecessors that either did not put in place a recognizable legislative roadmap through out their tenure or provided it much later in the existence of the legislature;   within a record time of   one week after inception, Tambuwal introduced   on the floor of the House his administration’s blueprint which he tagged; Legislative Agenda. The document, broad based and incorporating all aspects of legislative duties, provides a deep insight into where the 7 th  House is headed in the next four years. At a glance, one can clearly and easily digest the direction, focus and vision of Tambuwal’s headed House.      

The Legislative Agenda is germane in many respects. First, it symbolizes a contract the House has entered into with Nigerians based on the electoral mandate given to the Representatives by the electorate. Second, it provides Nigerians a veritable dais to latch on to easily evaluate the performance of the House as it progresses in its onerous legislative duties.    Far more importantly, the document confers greater responsibility and pressure on the House to perform. Besides, it provides the legislature a mechanism for internal benchmarking, self-regulation and self-assessment.

The document was within three weeks subjected to robust debate on the floor of the House. Interestingly, this provided the members an opportunity to make considerable inputs into the intent and content of the document thereby inspiring all of them to buy into the document and to own it. The report of the debate on the Legislative Agenda has since been laid before the House by the Chief Whip, Hon. Isiaka Bawa. Hence, the real challenge facing the House is the audacity to religiously implement the agenda it has set for itself so as to provoke good governance and dividends of democracy.

However, Tambuwal and Ihedioha have not hidden their tendency to ensuring that committee composition and selection of committees’ heads for the current House are painstakingly embarked upon. The overriding principle according to them is to avoid the error of the past. Since the inception of the Fourth Republic National Assembly, committee composition process has remained a blistering sore in the parliament and a huge source of discord both in the Senate and the House. Some of the cautious and meticulous steps being taken by the current House Selection Committee include; adoption of federal character principle in the committee composition process and fittingly selecting right legislators for right committees, thereby placing round pegs in round holes.    Tambuwal-led Selection Committee responsible for committees’ composition met in Ilorin, Kwara State capital earlier in the week to finalize the process ahead of the House’s resumption next week.

In the past 100 days, the Tambuwal Administration also took on the storm surrounding the composition of the House principal positions. This intrinsically tested the strength of Tambuwal and Ihedioha to manage debilitating political crisis. The ability of the leadership to strike a compromise within a short time is instructive of its consensus building capacity. In fact, prior to the commencement of the six-week-break, the entire principal positions had been filled, apart from the position of House Leader. It is also well-known that conciliation has been struck over the position; the candidate will be named on resumption.

Even outside the parliament, the House tackled some critical social and economic issues within the period under review. It arbitrated in the Labour- Federal Government dispute over minimum wage, playing a foremost role in the resolution of the stand-off. In addition, it took on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mallam Sanusi over the planned Islamic Banking project and cash withdrawal limit. The legislators were to settle the ripples that resulted from their interaction with the CBN Chief, amicably.

In terms of sitting time and quality of debate, the House appears to be on course in the last 100 days. Great respect has been accorded to 10 am commencement time for sitting at plenary. Ample time is being spent on legislative business during plenary session. Attendance comparatively has been impressive. Members have been showing immense enthusiasm to make contributions. Debates have been somewhat robust and of high quality. However, with about more four years to legislate for good governance, the leadership and the entire House would do the nation a lot of good by consolidating on this inspiring start.

Dr. Uganwa wrote in from Abuja