Date Published: 05/26/09
HOUSE OF NOTHING?
BY ARINZE ALINNOR A.
When I was much younger, I liked Latin language and adages so much. I realized also that most English words have their roots in Latin language. So I want to take this piece from a Latin adage. The adage is, ‘Ex nihilo, nihil fit’ – meaning ‘Out of nothing, nothing comes’. I have been trying to fully analyze and understand its meaning from different perspective. Recently, I wrote something relating to this adage but differing in meaning – ‘nothing is something veiled’. Anything you describe as nothing in that context is something you have little or no relevant knowledge about. So there is something in every nothing. Therefore a house of nothing may equally be a house of something veiled.
The house in this context is the legislative arm of government at different levels. Some describe it as house of honourables. But the activities of the same house most times are miles away from what honourable men and women should ordinary do. We hear that they are saddled with the responsibility of making, reviewing and unmaking of laws. They are almost above the laws they make for the polity. Legislators are supposed to serve the interests of the people but their interests supersede the interests of the people they are ‘representing’. Some of the members of the house at the local government, state or federal level are like demi-gods and must be worshipped by the chairman, governor or the presidency.
One of my friends said that we have been expecting too much from these ‘honourable’ men and women over here. He said if the British legislators who have traditionally very high standards can go below the standard, then we should not expect too much or any standards at all from our own legislators. I told him not to draw any comparison at all because the British legislators at least are very diligent in their oversight functions, they initiate quality bills and are not romancing the executive in the discharge of their duties. Our own ‘elected’ or ‘selected’ legislators are showing the very symptoms of fraudulent ascension or assumption of office and lack of any interest in public service. Many are saying that our own are intellectually lazy and have done nothing, but I submit that nothing is something veiled in the ‘house’.
I have maintained that we have become the laughing stock of those that should take inspiration from us. I watched the live transmission on NTA of the proceedings of the upper legislative house of Wednesday 20th May 2009 with curiosity. They were to talk on the electoral reform bill sent by the presidency. First, it is a shame that the bill was not a private members bill. Secondly I do not think they do know the importance of that bill because it was treated like any other bill. ‘Point of Order’ kept flying from all corners of the floor. I was particularly happy with one of their members who said they do not need to have a copy of Uwais panel report before they can work; that they are showing signs of intellectual laziness. He had hardly made his point before another ‘point of order’ stopped him for using offensive or abusive language. I did not see serious commitment in all the proceedings. Is that what their day at work is like?
Leadership is not about titles or positions. Positions do not make people, people make positions. Leadership is about influence and impact on the people. But what is the impact of the legislative arm so far? It is very sad that both the upper and lower house had not lived up to expectation on matters of national importance. They need to adjust and do internal quality audit. The words from the presidency in berating the National Assembly for low productivity may have come at a better time. It has been from one leadership tussle, misappropriation, honourable show of shame, contract scam involvement, abuse of siren, lack of constituency presence, pseudo probe panels, negligence of oversight functions, to indulging in all kinds of infantile jamboree in the name of constituency projects.
It is time for our legislators to examine their activities and know if actually they are in the house for themselves or for the interest of the larger society. Life unexamined is not worth living. How many bills that will better the lot of the people has been passed? How many private members’ bill has been passed or being debated by the members of the house at different levels; local government, state and the federal? I suggest that we create a peoples’ court where under-achievers or self-serving public officers would be tried. Taking recess every now and then without achievement can be attributed to intellectual laziness on their part. I wish to submit at this point that we have a house full of intelligent minds with low or no productivity. It is house of nothing. But do remember that nothing is something veiled.
ARINZE ALINNOR A.
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