Environmental Rights Writes Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker

L-R Hon. Tonye Isenah, Alagoa Morris. Photo credit: facebook.com

An environmental rights activist has written an open letter to the newly elected Bayelsa state speaker House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Tonye Isenah.

Read it below

 Sir
Please permit me to congratulate you via this medium on your emergence as Speaker of the 6th Assembly of Bayelsa State last Thursday, 6th June, 2019. To some Bayelsans, it didn’t come as a surprise that you assume this position, Speaker. It is gratifying to note that the good people of Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 1 considered you good enough to be returned to the Assembly a third time. Not many are so lucky to be re-elected, as some had one term and were not re-elected. And, I must commend the people of your constituency for their choice to return you to the Assembly.
Incidentally, on the very date you were elected Speaker and inauguration of the 6th Assembly, I was occupied with matters relating to my 59th Birthday; as I was born on 6th June, 1960, three months before Nigeria’s independence from the British held colony.

No doubt, you have gained legislative experience over the years as you served as Chairman of some sensitive Committees in the Assembly before becoming Speaker; including Chief Whip. However, you will agree with me that the office of Speaker is the highest that any member of the Assembly can attain and a rare opportunity for anyone to occupy. As Speaker, your responsibility cannot be equated with other members of the Assembly; because you are now the number three man of the State. This means that your interest and responsibility should be larger than those of any other member. The entire state of Bayelsa should be seen as your Constituency from the moment you were elected Speaker; not just for Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 1 anymore. And I hope the people of your constituency will appreciate this fact. Interestingly, I am of the conviction that Mr. Speaker knows this and would rise to the demands of the new office.
Drafters of the American Constitution admonished that, owing to the excesses inherent in man there was the need for eternal vigilance. This aligns with the maxim, ‘’power corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’’; a statement credited to Lord Acton, a British historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. And the observation is predicated on the fact that a person’s sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases. One of the beauties of democracy is that fact that unlike kingdoms ruled by Kings in medieval days where Kings had absolute powers, democracy’s design provided for Three Arms of Government, Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances. While the three arms ought to be independent of each other but work in harmony in the business of governance; the Principle of Checks and Balance was intended to check the excesses of any organ of government. The protection of the Rights of citizens and acting in the welfare of the people should be one cardinal duty of government, especially the Legislature made up of the People’s representatives. Herein lies the significance of making of people-oriented laws. It is believed that the 6th Assembly would bridge some of the gaps; as every new beginning and leadership is expected to differ in some ways from those before. Bayelsans are not unaware that there are times when the three arms of government may disagree in principles, but they should also be expected to agree when the needs are obvious in the interest of good governance. What Bayelsans may not be happy about is where the legislature becomes a rubber stamp to the Executive.

Let me go straight to the crux of this letter, the Unique Deltaic terrain Bayelsa State occupies and need to act accordingly. In August, 2018 the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria [ERA/FoEN] recommended to the Bayelsa State Government; the establishment of a Flood and Erosion Commission. The recommendation was prompted by the threat our communities are contending with and which is beyond the capacity of any community to address. All our communities on the Fringes of the Atlantic Ocean such as Odioama, Okpoama, Twon-Brass, Sangana, Koluama, etc are seriously threatened. Communities along the Rivers Nun and Forcados and their tributaries such as Anibeze, Kaiama, Okoloba, Odi, Peremabiri, Famgbe, Obogoro, Anyama Ogbia, etc are in dire need of erosion control measures. Communities like Abobiri and Okpotuwari that are not directly connected to the major rivers mentioned above also suffer serious threat from erosion.

The call for the establishment of Flood and Erosion Commission is better appreciated when the land and property of communities washed into the rivers is considered and how the affected communities and people need to be given a sense of belonging. The Proposed Commission which may be under the Supervision of the State Ministry of Environment should be empowered to deal with the twin Environmental/Ecological challenges from flood and Erosion, including the annual flooding experienced in the State capital. The commission, if established; should be designed by law to work effectively with Federal Government interventionist agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC], Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, National Emergency Management Agency [NEMA]; including other global development oriented partners. A given percentage of the 13% derivation should also be channeled to the Flood and Erosion Commission as major source of funding. As the most deltaic state in the Delta, Bayelsa State needs to meet the challenges posed by the lowness of the land frontally. It is not just the setting up of the special agency for another bureaucracy; but one that would be effective in terms of qualified technical staff [with requisite training and capacity], connections and funding for efficiency and effective service delivery.

Rt.Hon. Speaker, I don’t know if it is true; but it gave me so much concerns hearing that 92 of the Bills passed into laws by the 5th Assembly were Executive Bills, only 13 were private bills. This does not speak well for our dear State, Bayelsa. The Bayelsa State House of Assembly over the Years have not been encouraging private bills; especially people-oriented bills. One of the reasons the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum [BANGOF] visited the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and handed him a private bill seeking to establishment of the Bayelsa State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission [BASOPADEC] during the Chief Timipre Sylva’s administration was due to the observed lacuna in terms of the use of the 13% derivation when juxtaposed with developmental needs at the grassroots. Before BANGOF, another group, The Eagle’s Eye of Bayelsa [TEEB] had sent a similar bill to the House of Assembly during the brief tenure of Dr.Goodluck Jonathan in the State. Some women group peacefully protested on the street of Yenagoa in favour of the establishment of BASOPADEC during Sylva’s administration and, some of their leaders were arrested and detained. This issue is still pending; to be addressed.

The need for the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to encourage and embrace private bills cannot be overemphasized as that need remain obvious till date. And, I am optimistic the 6th Assembly under your leadership, Rt.Hon. Speaker would turn a new leaf and do the needful by bridging the lacuna. Our communities and rural folks have waited for too long to see the human face of the state and local governments in Bayelsa. And I think, with the right, people and community oriented approach to governance; even the level of crime rate would be reduced.

While there are other issues to be addressed like the issue of paying for DARKNESS; for power not supplied, let me conclude this letter by wishing you the very best in your new office.

Thank you for your attention and for being on the side of our suffering communities and doing the needful to address the challenges posed by Flood and Erosion.

Alagoa Morris
[A Concerned Bayelsan/ Community Rights Campaigner].