Minority Leader of
the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor speaks on sundry national issues
and concludes that the State of Affairs currently is uninspiring.
He says President
Muhammadu Buhari should step up his game as the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) is poised to take over in 2019.
He spoke with
Sunny Anderson Osiebe, Managing Editor/Publisher and Rotimi Opeyeoluwa,
Associate Editor in his office.
HallowMace: We
would like you to enlighten us; we heard that Bills that originates from the
House of Representatives does not need Senate Concurrence because it is
regarded as the Lower House?
Hon. Ogor: That
is quite strange you know. People who say that do not have a clear understanding
of the workings of a bi-cameral legislature. When Bills originates from either chamber
after the First, Second and third reading of the Bill, then definitely it must
go to the other chamber for Concurrence. It is a clear process. For example, if
a Bill originates from the House of Representatives, it must be sent to the
Senate for Concurrence, so also a Bill that originates from the Senate, must
also come to the House of Reps for Concurrence. In line with section 58 sub 3
and 4 of the Constitution, it would be sent to the President for assent; if the
President declines assent, he can be vetoed, that is the Constitutional procedure.
So anybody saying otherwise then he or she does not understand the
parliamentary procedure.
HallowMace: A lot of commentators say it’s about time
we jettisoned the idea of Bi-cameral legislature. Do you share such sentiments?
Hon. Ogor: My
take is inspired by the Constitution. It is purely a Constitutional issue. It
is enshrined in the Constitution. If the Nigerian people decide that they want
a single chamber, to God be the Glory. What matters is the people’s choice, the
final say lies with the people. For me, what matters is what the people want.
As representatives here, you must dance to the tune of the people, if that is
the position of the majority, why not? But it must interest you to know that
the Presidential System of government is not cheap. Take a look at America;
they have a bi-cameral legislature. If we are practicing presidential system,
we have America to look up to for inspiration. But whatever, the majority in
every democracy must have their way and the minority their say. Democracy is an
interesting game.
HallowMace: What is your experience like as a
Legislator, a ranking parliamentarian?
Hon. Ogor:
Very interesting. Interesting in the sense that I enjoy it. I have a passion
for the job. I can’t recall missing plenary ever. I do everything with all
seriousness and that is the spirit that has followed me. I think that has been
my experience.
HallowMace: How do
you feel being in the opposition now?
Hon. Ogor:
First, you can clearly see the unity of purpose of the opposition legislators
in the House. We speak with one voice. We are united and very strategic. For
us, we don’t have problems, we are playing our role with the required
seriousness, and I think at the end of the day we have lived up to expectation.
Take for instance, you saw our role during the Budget exercise, we saw the
inconsistencies. We were the ones who raised the alarm and said, this is a
strange Budget which was not in conformity with other Budgets passed
previously. We are doing our job very well. I believe we have a vibrant
opposition. So far so good, democracy requires a good opposition and
fortunately or unfortunately the PDP is in the opposition. It is left to the
Nigerian people to make a distinction. Hunger everywhere, unemployment
everywhere, the Economy totally in a mess, the stock market is crumbled, the
dollar appreciating daily, the naira crashing. It is left for us all to judge.
We cannot even finance our letters of credit and every Nigerian is complaining
today. We can now see the difference between the APC and PDP. In every
disadvantage, there is an advantage. We are waiting for 2019, when everybody
will speak with their votes.
HallowMace: Some commentators have said the Economic
crisis was as a result of PDP’s impunity and massive looting of the
yester-years?
Hon. Ogor:
Those are people who don’t understand their left from their right. Government
is a continuum, you see today, we have a spirit, we are good at criticizing,
when we criticize, we do so negatively. When the Buhari’s administration was
campaigning, they came up with lots of promises. They promised heaven on earth,
today, they are in government, why would they want to renege on their promises?
Buhari promised us that Petrol would sell for N40 per a litre, but today how
much is a litre? Noboby is asking question. These are people who promised to
make a naira equivalent to a dollar, nobody is asking? They promised 3 million
jobs annually, they just finished the first year, what have they done? You can
clearly see. Rather than create jobs, people are losing jobs daily. We need to
address the fundamentals. When somebody is doing the wrong thing, be bold to
tell him. The only thing they do today is to fight phantom corruption,
investigating PDP campaign funds. Nobody is investigating APC campaign funds.
Am aware they didn’t carry out campaign luncheon, where did their billions came
from? They outspent the PDP. This is a
situation where the pot is calling the kittle black. I belief that when the
Nigerian people would speak, they would. But my advice to President Muhammadu
Buhari is that he should be very careful. He should be careful of sycophants.
They would be telling him all is well, let him find out from the public what is
happening on the street, he would be very disappointed with his government.
HallowMace: Let’s talk about your party, One Party, Two
conventions, three Chairmen, what is happening?
Hon. Ogor: let
me state very clearly that these crises would be over very soon. I call them a
storm in a cup of tea. The issues would be resolved. Taking it from the legal
perspective, be mindful that these two courts are courts of coordinate
jurisdiction and the situation where court one came out with a judgment first,
by the provision of our constitution there is no way the second court can make
a pronouncement of that same matter. You are aware that the first pronouncement
was that of Makarfi, so the issue of Sheriff is null and void. It is totally
inconsequential. The court in Lagos cannot rule where the court in Part
Harcourt has already ruled. Well, as a
party we shall disagree to agree, the highest organ of the party that is the
convention has spoken clearly that its Makarfi’s Committee. The issue is a
straight forward matter. As our party, we shall resolve our differences and
come out stronger. All we want to do is to make sure that by 2019, we are headed
back to the Villa.
Thank You.
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