The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Honourable Kingsley Chinda has observed that opposition lawmakers will be guided by minority caucus agenda designed by the opposition during legislative duties.
He said the 10th House of Representatives is made up of deep thinkers of opposition lawmakers that will provide credible alternatives that will add value but not just as a watchdog.
According to the lawmaker, the opposition in the House of Representatives, contrary to insinuations have not been silent, saying most of the programmes of the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are programmes that has to do with palliative and cushioning the effect of removal of subsidy on Nigerians, adding “we cannot be seen to be opposing such programmes”.
Honourable Chinda, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers state was reacting to assessment of the opposition in the house, in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
“And so, we have also come up with what we called Minority Caucus Agenda, which is a guide to us on what kind of opposition we should present before the House”.
Specifically, he said “our position has been on implementation of palliatives programmes; how well are they implemented? What is the impact on Nigerians? Are we actually feeling the palliatives?
“Like I said on the floor of the House, this palliative should actually to a reasonable extent cushion the feelings of Nigerians” he said.
He explained further “ever since this government came on board. You understand that we have been grappling with economic issues, mainly survival for Nigerians with the removal of the fuel subsidy and the fiscal policy that came on board. And so for us, on the floor of the parliament, we have not opposed most of the programmes that they offer”.
He said opposition lawmakers have provided credible opposition, stressing “but it might be a little bit different from what you used to hear. It will not be noise without action, it will be opposition that will be effective, that will provide an alternative and at the end of the day, as politicians what do we hope to achieve sincerely, to build a better society? That’s our ultimate goal” Chinda added.
Commenting on the call by former President Goodluck for the scrapping of off cycle elections in Nigeria, Chinda said “there is already a bill that we are processing to unify the electoral system. So I agree with the former President Goodluck Jonathan. The off-cycle election has not been helpful to us. If you look at it critically, it is just for the benefit of the individual involved. Not just the larger society. You have a situation where you begin to plan for elections almost all year round. And if we continue that way Nigeria will continue to be in election in the next four years, because we expect that we’ll have more off-cycle elections as elections are being nullified by the judiciary and fresh elections conducted.
He continued “Yesterday, some people were sworn in. So if we go by that trend, what it means is that they will come after us. So I think that the proper thing for us to do is both the legislature and the executive, at any point in time that you are sworn in, at the end of the term, everybody goes and the election is conducted”.
The minority leader threw his weight behind the former president. “There is a need for us to look inwards. Let us completely scrap off-cycle elections” Chinda added.
