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THE FAILURE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND ETHNIC POLITICS



The legislature is an assemblage of the representatives of the people elected under a legal framework to make laws for the good health of society. It is also defined as the institutional body  responsible for making laws for a nation and one through which the collective will of the people or part of it is articulated, expressed and implemented.
The legislature controls through legislation, all economic, social and political activities of the nation or State. It also scrutinizes the policies of the executive and provides the framework for the judiciary to operate. In the light of the foregoing, we cannot talk about democracy in any meaningful form or manner, without the legislature. In simple terms, the legislature performs three basic roles: representation, lawmaking and oversight.

While the Chief Executive should be generally acknowledged for development across the State, it is not compulsory that a Governor will develop his entire ethnic region nor does it lead to benefit for all individuals from the group. Examples are bound. It is the representatives from the areas who bring development to their areas, because they are the ones who are aware of the topography and the needs of their people. President Jonathan has done more for States in the north than Bayelsa.  Ogbemudia was a great leader as military governor, but why is Igbanke rural, backward and one of the least developed areas in Edo State till date.

Chief James Ibori did not develop the whole of Urhobo land in fell swoop, just as Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan has not, for the entire Itsekiri nation. While Chief Ibori was responsible for developments in Oghara, it is Ighoyota Amori who should be credited with developments in Mosogar. David Edevbie in Ughelli, just as Ifeanyi Okowa could be credited for developments in the Ika axis. At the individual level, a thorough analysis will show that those who benefitted more may even be non-Deltans. At the individual level, it is more about old time friendship, alumni connections and other social relationships.

So what is this whole noise about Urhobo governor all about? Whoever is brought out, at the end, it is his/her interest, family, friends and probably that of his village that is uppermost. We must learn to build institutions, rather than individuals. There is need to find a way to make our representatives to sit up. We hear about constituency projects, how many constituents have asked to know what the projects are and their state of completion. Have we cared to find out how much money is involved and equate that with whatever projects is executed, if any.

We cannot be slaves to our ethnic origins instead we should harness these diversities towards national and State development. Our elites should not allow themselves to be seen as sectional leaders. One of the sociological problems hindering the growth of nation states in Africa is multi-ethnicity and the political misuse by the majority tribes.

What we should be advocating is cooperation among the various ethnic groups that make up Delta State so that we can produce a credible candidate that will win the general election for our great party and develop our society. Those canvassing for public office should go to the electorate with their strategies for implementing their policies and programmes. Let us leave ethnicity and personalities out of civilized and informed issues-centred discourse on the political turf. 

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