THE BENINS IN NATIONAL POLITICS: YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW.

by Osata Osayogie aka Debunk Tendency

The pathetic situation we, the Benins, presently find ourselves today in Nigeria and Edo State politics began yesterday. Tomorrow begins today.Let us seize the opportunities that are accorded us today to begin to create the tomorrow we desire.

Now is the time to act. We should use the best we have at the moment to get the best from the Nigeria Commonwealth.

The resources of this nation are allocated through budgetary provisions every year. The question is who are the officials and personalities that control Federal budget?

The Federal budget is controlled by the following government officials:

1)The President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

2)The Senate President and Deputy Senate President

3)The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives
who are the Presiding Officers of both houses of the National Assembly.

4)Other Principal Officers of the National Assembly are the Leaders and their Deputies as well as the Chief Whips and their Deputies).

With smart politics devoid of hatred, envy and negative sentiments, a Benin man can occupy any of these offices or positions. Since 1999, only two Benins have occupied Principal Offices in the National Assembly.

Senator Roland Owie in 1999 occupied the position of Chief Whip in the Senate, though for a short period while Rt. Hon. Samson Osagie held the position of Minority Whip in the HOR from 2011 to 2015. Apart from these two, no other Benin indigene has occupied the position of a Presiding Officer or that of a Principal Officer in the National Assembly.

The reason for this is simple: high turnover of Senators and House of Representatives members in Edo South, despite the fact that there is no term limit for the Legislative arm as there is for the Executive arm.

The election of Presiding Officers and Principal Officers is based on seniority. Only ranking Senators and House of Representative members can occupy such positions. For example, the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, CON, has been in the National Assembly since 1999 (from House of Representatives to the Senate). Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has been in the House since 2003. No wonder they are where they are today as Presiding Officers in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively.

Because of their exalted positions which are highly taken care of in the Federal budget, their constituencies and constituents are today enjoying maximum benefits in terms of developments, empowerment and appointments.

It is a well known fact that the Presiding Officers and Principal Officers of the Senate and House of Representatives get 10 times what the ordinary Senators and Members of the House get of the projects allocated to the National Assembly (both Capital and Zonal Intervention Projects). Likewise, while a Senator or HOR member is entitled to 5 Legislative Aides, the Principal Officers and Presiding Officers are entitled to between 150 and 350 Legislative Aides depending on the positions they hold.

The Hausas/Fulanis and Yorubas understand this political logic, hence they mostly re-elect serving Senators and House of Representatives members back to the National Assembly. If the Hausas/Fulanis and the Yorubas could do it, the Benins can as well leverage on this political calculation, so as to attract more developments, empowerment and appointments to the Senatorial District.

We must invest to harvest.
We can only reap what we sow.

It is often asserted that only those who know the way can show the way.

In the 2023 general election, we the Benins must make the wisest choices in choosing those to represent us in the National Assembly.

It is often said that “the older the wine, the tastier it becomes”.

May God help us to take decisions that will benefit the Benins, Residents of Edo South and Edo State in general.
Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare The Second, Ogidigan Gha Tó Òkpèré.

IN GOD, WE PUT OUR TRUST