Glimpse of Senator Okadigbo’s scorecard at the Senate By Chinedu Obigwe

This piece shows that indeed Okadigbo is in for a real contest between APGA and APC candidates in the forthcoming senatorial election for Anambra North senatorial zone. www.odogwublog.com brings you details:

It is obvious that some fifth columnist have been contracted by a desperate politician for the execution of a well hatchet campaign of cal­umny job against Senator Margery Okadigbo. All Ni­gerians will agree with me that the incurable national malaise syndrome bedevil­ing our country’s political system is pull him Down syndrome. Ideologically bereft politicians don’t be­lieve in adapting to political rules of engagement, they prefer playing dirty politics on a devilish bid to actual­ise their inordinate political ambition.

In a recent opinion article which emanated from a hired fifth columnist, they struggled in their write-up to twist facts and possibly bury the truth with regards to Senator Okadigbo’s impressive scorecard at the 7th Senate. An adage says: “Truth is like nine months pregnancy that cannot be covered.” The people of Anambra North senato­rial zone are proud of Senator Okadigbo achievements in the 7th Senate and the reason they are proud of her is that within a short space of two years in the National Assembly, she attracted a lot of democracy dividends to the people of Anambra North Senatorial zone and this is a glaring evidence of effective and quality representation. People like me are not surprise, knowing her background as a lawyer and she is the amiable wife of late Senator Chuba Okadigbo (former Senate President).

The clamour for her return to the Senate in the forthcoming 2015 general elections has envel­oped Anambra North Senatorial zone and that is why desperate politicians resorted to misinform­ing the general public on her achievements at the Senate. Per­mit me at this juncture to humbly use this medium to reel out her achievements under two years in the 7th Senate. It is an undeni­able fact that on July 18, 2014 Senator Okadigbo empowered 700 people from her constitu­ency through the distribution of cars, clippers/generators, sewing machines, motorcycles, freez­ers and many other items. The undeniable dividends of democ­racy she attracted to Anambra North senatorial zone are: (1) Job employment at federal parastatals for 46 unemployed people of her senatorial zone; (2) Building of Primary Health Centres (PHC) in all the communities that are within Anambra North Senatorial Zone; (3) Building of classroom blocks in many schools that are within Anambra North Senato­rial zone; (4) Installation of solar energy light in Anambra North Senatorial zone; (5) Building of ICT centre at Ogbunike; (6) Pro­vision of borehole for the people of Anambra North Senatorial zone; (7) Sponsoring of the fol­lowing bills:- Nigerian Children Trust Fund Act, Cap N93 LFN 2011 (Amendment) bill 2013 (SB.394), Child’s Right Act Cap C50 LFN 2011 (Amendment) bill 2013 (SB.350), National Kidney Treatment and Dialysis Centre (EST.ETC) bill 2013 (SB.351), Nigeria Council for Clinical Psy­chologist (ETS. ETC) bill 2014 (SB.473).

She co-sponsored many other bills that will have posi­tive impact in the life of people of Anambra North Senatorial zone and Nigerians at large. We all are witnesses of the fact that it took Senator Okadigbo two years to thrash the legal hurdles that would have been a clog on the wheel of her sincere desire to effectively represent the people of Anambra North at the Senate and restore their dignity at the senate. All that I listed as her achievements in the Senate were actualised under two years and that is the most commendable aspect of it. I will not forget to state emphatically without minc­ing words that she is the first senator from Anambra North that initiated a monthly pay pack­age for the people of the zone in the 99 wards that are within Anambra North. So, having gone through her impressive achieve­ments under two years at the 7th Senate, you will concur with me that it is only a blind person that will accuse her of not attracting democracy dividend to the people of Anambra North senatorial zone. Another of her selling point as far as the forthcoming 2015 general elections is concerned, is experience and in legislative affairs, you will also agree with me that experience counts all over the world. Those jostling to unseat her in the forthcom­ing 2015 general elections lack the required experience to give the people of the zone effective representation.

In a recent opinion article that was published on October 13, 2014 in the back page and page 56 of Daily Sun, a highly respected and revered journalist in the person of Femi Adesina, Managing Director of Sun Newspaper, made it known to the general public that experience is the foundation of effective and quality representation in the Senate or House of Representa­tives. On a sincere bid to proof his point, he gave examples of American senators and House of Reps members that have represented their constituency in the National Assembly for a very long time and they are: (1) John Dingell 1955 – till date (59 years); (2) Robert Byrd, who was in the Senate for 51 years; (3) Carl Hayden, the first American senator to serve for seven terms and before then he have served in the House of Reps for eight terms; (4) Daniel Inouye, who represented Hawaii for 49 years; (5) Jamie Whitten, a representa­tive of Mississippi that holds the record of being the second-lon­gest serving US lawmaker, while Ted Kennedy (of the Kennedy political dynasty) served Mas­sachusetts as senator for 46 years and 292 days.

In the referred opinion article, Femi Adesina quoted the Major­ity Leader of the Senate of say­ing: “Parliament is made up of members who, when voted out of office, leave with their contacts, network, records, knowledge and experience. I am not obliged to say a word to the person taking over from me. He comes in and starts learning legislative duties …. What constitutes the institutional memory of parlia­ment is the aggregate memory of its members. When memory is eroded, capacity is equally eroded.”