By; YUSUF ISHAKU GOJE
Stumbling on a video clip on the Facebook page of Hon. Henry Marah, Committee Chairman on Information, NGOs and Development Partners of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, a number of questions ran through my mind. Has the opposition finally found its voice? Or was it just playing to the gallery? Why wait until now to ask the germane questions? Why was he the only lone voice addressing the press? Where are his colleagues from the opposition? Has the State Assembly suddenly woken up to its oversight responsibility?
Obviously, the press briefing organized by the Member was not as the House Spokesperson. As it was an outcry of attempts to silence the voice of the opposition on critical issues in the Assembly. While his bold action can be counted as courageous and commendable, one is not unmindful that challenging the status quo comes with political consequences. The current predicament of the suspended Senator Abdul Ningi of Bauchi quickly comes to mind. Similarly, one is also not quick to forget that the current Speaker and others were suspended in the 9th Assembly for standing up to the then leadership of the House.
The member in his statements raised two germane issues on insecurity. The first being accountability on procurement of drones and the lack of appointment of a substantive Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs. He went further to talk about the funds sunk into the road and water projects without the evident desired results. The issues he raised are not new as civil society actors and residents of the States have been raising. However, it is gratifying that a legislator is bold enough to ask for value for money for the annual budgets appropriated.
The State government has allocated over N37 billion, from 2016 to 2023, for security, formally under the Office of the Secretary to the State Government and now the Ministry for Internal Security & Home Affairs (just for Capital and Overhead Expenditures, minus overhead for 2016). Top investments in technology during the period were the establishment of the Command and Control Centre, procurement and deployment of drones and creation of Safe City with the procurement and installation of CCTVs.
Hence, like the Member asked, to what extent in terms of cost-benefit have these technologies been successfully deployed to fight the persistent insecurity? Secondly, beyond the calls for State Police, it is important to also ask how well has the Kaduna Vigilante Services been equipped and the welfare of the personnel taken care of. Equally, it is difficult to fathom the justification for not having a substantive Commissioner for the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs almost getting to a year of the administration of Governor Uba Sani and at a time insecurity is intensifying.
Another germane issue raised by the Member is that of road infrastructure and water supply. Although these projects were funded by huge borrowings, many remain uncompleted, if not abandoned. This is disturbing as the burden of the debt is telling on the fiscal sustainability of the State. We serviced our debt last year with about N35 billion and this we are expected to do the same with N25 billion – it could be more as a result of the volatility of exchange rate. To compound our current predicament, we still face the development challenges these borrowings are meant to address. For instance, the National Bureau Statistics’ MPI Survey, 2022, shows that 64% of households in the State are deprived of access to clean drinking water.
Therefore, It is imperative that the leadership of the State Assembly demonstrate that it is not a rubber stamp legislature. Rather than silence the opposition, it should take this opportunity to demonstrate its willingness to perform its oversight function. Starting with setting up an investigative committee in line with the provision of section 128 (sub-section 1 and 2) of the 1999 constitution of FRN (as amended). Also, fact finding reports such as that of Sabiu Sani’s 8-man Committee, constituted by the Governor, to determine the status of all ongoing projects across the State should be revisited, appropriate investigative and punitive action taken where necessary.
Goje is an active citizen, civil society actor and OGP enthusiast.
