Onwuka Nzeshi
6 November 2009
Abuja — Decorum was thrown to the wind yesterday as a debate on the "State of the Nation" gave way to chaos, pitting honourable members of the House of Representatives against one another.
The House also threatened to shun consideration of the 2010 Appropriation Bill if the Federal Government failed to implement the 2008/2009 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Quick Win Projects as provided for in the 2009 Appropriation Act.
A motion reviewing the contents, motives and implications of the cover story of the 'Tell Magazine' of October 5, 2009, which declared that Nigeria is a failed state "in the making" generated so much controversy that legislators failed to agree on how to approach the issue.
On one hand were those who expressed disgust over the publication. Others however chose to approach the issue from the perspective of a re-awakening of the patriotic spirit of Nigerians.
Chairman, House Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Hon. Sani Saleh Minjibir, who brought the first motion to the floor had in his opening remarks described the cover story titled "The Making of a Failed State" as negative, uncomplimentary and unpatriotic journalism.
He said that although Nigeria faced a number of challenges - lack of adequate power supply, youth unemployment, poverty, hunger and general insecurity, these problems were not peculiar to the country. Rather, the same could be said of other developing nations, he argued.
Although Saleh had wanted the House to constitute an Ad hoc Committee to further review the state of the nation and identify measures that should be taken to guard against the country sliding into a failed state, the debate soon veered off its course, as some lawmakers made scathing remarks about their colleagues based on the different positions taken on the matter.
Former Speaker of the House, Hon. Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, had in her contribution to the debate alluded to the political development in Anambra State and the general insecurity experienced during general elections in the country. That is an indication that the country had failed in some respect, she argued.
Etteh said it was unfortunate that even lawmakers could not boldly walk the streets or visit the polling centres to cast their votes during elections without police escort, blaming the unhealthy political climate on the lack of internal democracy in the political parties including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But her presentation angered the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Bala Ibn Na' Allah, who rose in defence of the PDP and, turning the debate into a theatre of verbal war.
Na'Allah said it was uncharitable for Etteh to chastise the ruling party on whose platform she was elected into the parliament. He reminded Etteh that "it was this same party that she said lacked internal democracy that coerced us to accept her as Speaker of the House of Representatives".
His remarks caused an uproar as some lawmakers felt his comments re-opened old political wounds that were thought to have been healed since Etteh was forced to resign two years ago.
Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Mohammed Ali Ndume, protested the remarks of Na'Allah and urged the House to compel him to apologise.
According to Ndume, the insinuation that Etteh was imposed on the House could not be allowed to go unchallenged because when she was nominated for the post of Speaker on June 4, 2007, there was neither a second candidate nor any recorded opposition to her candidature.
Na'Allah bluntly declined to retract his statements and did not apologise, despite the protest.
The anger in the green chamber became double charged following a second motion probing the partial and non-implementation of the 2008/2009 MDG Quick Win Projects.
On this, the House resolved that it will shun the consideration of the 2010 Appropriation Bill if the Federal Government failed to implement the MDG programmes as provided for in the 2009 Appropriation Act.
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Those who are acusing the jouralism of patriosism are murderers and propanganda minded people, their cupbourds are full of dead bodies and they are those who didnt win election and not even go to polling stations.HON. ETTEH, deserved praises on motion she raised because its all full of truths.Papa Decieved Picken (PDP) has destroy this GOD blessed country,after 10yrs of ruling this country ,no internal democracy,no electricity,no security,no good road,no good portable water,no sustainable investments,no jobs,no foods,no rural development projects,infact nigeria is 100percent failled state and this rulers and propagandist and corrupted people that called themselves leaders of nigeria can never in this wourld bring change to all this things escept something serious is done to remove all of them from that place.they are allways happy in corruption and shamefullness.GHANA is ahead of nigeria today,they have 24hrs electricity,elected democratic president and many sustainable investments are seen everyday and night.
It is unfortunate that people are just belatedly realizing that president Umaru Yardua is leading Nigeria into a failed state. His northern compatriots said, not long ago, that only the north is undeveloped in the country. WHAT A TRIBALISTIC AND UNPATRIOTIC GROUP!
When are all these uneducated,self-centered,self-absorbed,self -important idiots who call themselves politicians and leaders going to start doing things that will make Nigeria the shining star she rightfully should be. While they go about full of their own arrogance,Nigeria is sliding further and further into the stone age. They award contracts that are never fulfilled,debate endlessly about nothing,go all over the world asking for help from countries that by rights should be coming to Nigeria for help. Do they truly believe that there is nothing Nigeria and Nigerians can do for themselves? This is pathetic and shameful for a country whose citizens are busy building up other countries around the world and are industrious. God help this country known as Nigeria.Like in ancient Rome which burned while Nero fiddled,Nigeria is decaying and regressing while its so called leaders argue about silly and inane issues .A failed state is a country where nothing works-does that not fit Nigeria to a tee?
Nigeria is gradually becoming a failed state. No doubt about that. The MPs should be ashamed of themselves that they are even fighting over this issue.
In a country as endowed in both natural and human resources as Nigeria, the sense of insecurity, lawlessness and corruption at all levels of society is unacceptable.
Whether they like it or not, the perceived sense of corruption, arrogance and immaturity of these MPs and government officials at both federal and state level is the lighting rod that is spreading the culture of impunity, desperation and lawlessness in the whole society.
If ordinary people see their politicians carry themselves with respect, obey the laws they claim to make and shun corruption, then gradually society will follow and the country can begin to move forward.