|29 October 2018 | Ukorebi Esien
The Honourable Member representing Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South(ABC) Federal Constituency at the floor of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Apostle Essien Ekpenyong Ayi has said that the present National Assembly led by Sen. Bukola Saraki has refused to be a rubber stamp in the hands of the Presidency thus the heated attack from the presidency.
Apostle Essien Ayi who expressed this disposition over the weekend while interacting with bloggers and journalists under the auspices of Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Cross River State Chapter at his residence in Calabar said unlike the current APC members in National Assembly who have allowed themselves to be rubber stamps in the hands of the Presidency, the PDP led national Assembly under David Mark had reasons severally to disagree with President Jonathan and it never affected the proceedings of the house neither did the Presidency besiege the National Assembly.
His words, “When we were PDP controlled National Assembly, we used to disagree with Jonathan (former president), but this one you’ll see a bunch of people who have never seen anything bad in the Buhari presidency because they belong to the same party – if you do like that, then you are not doing the country any good.”
“We don’t want to be a rubber stamp, we want to be a sort of NASS that can stand up and condemn certain policies in the interest of the country and not a rubber stamp.”
He went on to say, “There are certain steps that the president would take and if you feel that those steps are not in the interest of the country, whether you belong to the same party or not, you have to disagree – that is where you have a robust National Assembly.
“At a time, certain legislators from the ruling party became very disgusted, disenchanted – you find the likes of the Senate President, the Speaker leaving the party. There must be something wrong because if the president of the Senate leaves his party, it’s a very big crab. If 15 senators wake up and leave the party of which some are still planning to defect again, if the Speaker leaves the party, then there’s something wrong”, Rt. Hon. Ayi said.
The Lawmaker also said the Buhari presidency was trying to impose presiding officers for the NASS, knowing very well that there are three arms of government.
He said, “First and foremost, we don’t appoint ministers for you, then why do you want to choose presiding officers for us? There are 3 tiers of government, there’s doctrine of separation of powers and if we don’t appoint your ministers, the executive arm is there, the legislative arm is there, why do you now sit and chose who should be Speaker, who should be Senate president? We have to stop those things, let us ourselves choose who we want to lead us
Atiku’s Chances of winning
When asked if he thinks his party the PDP would win the forthcoming presidential elections, he said: “The chances of PDP are very bright due to our choice of choosing a candidate. Atiku has been a former a VP and has resources and exposure, so he is likely to alleviate our suffering.
He continued, “Atiku is the only hope, and he can reverse these things back to normal.”
He lamented the high cost of living in Nigeria despite the bogus promises given to Nigerians by the APC government; he said the only hope for Nigerians present situation is Atiku,
Rt. Hon. Essien Ayi, said that unfortunately, these changes were brought in by those shouting for change, adding that, “the best alternative to correct these wrongs is Atiku.”
The House of Reps Member said the administration of Buhari has brought in so much suffering to the land and Nigerians need someone like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to alleviate their sufferings.
“There’s too much hardship in the land and we need a positive change. The people who campaigned for change are the people that we need to change. Prices of things are going up and we need to change that, for if we continue like this, then Nigerians may have to start eating stones in the nearest future.”
I never had any agreement with Saviour Nyong
Hon. Essien Ayi went on to clear the air on gray areas as regards the just concluded primary elections where rumors had it that he had promised Hon. Saviour Nyong, a former aspirant for the Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South National Assembly job in 2015 that he will hand over the baton to him come 2019. The Apostle Vehemently said he never had any such arrangement with anybody and wondered why Nyong contested against him during the 2015 PDP primary and lost, how could he have promised to hand over to him in view of 2019? He argued that if Nyong had then withdrawn from the contest in an understanding of supporting him that would have been appreciated.
His words, “I'm one person that when I say something I stand by it, I don't dance...
There's no time I promised Saviour Nyong that I will hand over to him. If you were there in the 2015 primary at Cultural Center, you will know that Saviour was one of the people who contested against me and lost in that primary. So, if I had promised him that I will hand over to him, why did he come and challenge me in the contest? If he had withdrawn and said OK I have withdrawn for you with the understanding that when you are through, I will take over that way...
“But, ask him, did he withdraw for me? Ask him, did he not contest against me at Cultural Center? How many votes did he get? I have a video clip —he made so much noise then, caused so much trouble, in the end... I never had any agreement like that with him, I never.”
Ukorebi Esien blogs for TDN where he tells the Nigerian story, one article at a time without fear or favour
0 comments: