Senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah has showered accolades on the Ninth Senate for being people-oriented.
Gatekeepers News reports that Oduah explained that it was with great honor and gratitude to God to serve the people, adding that she’s a “deeply fulfilled leader.”
The Senator in a statement she signed said, “Many years ago when I first mooted the idea of representing the great people of Anambra North in these hallowed chambers, many in my immediate circle honestly believed that I was out of my mind, for they just couldn’t fathom how and why a normal human being would leave the safe confines of my then flourishing private business to join the murky waters of politics.
“But you see, I was raised by a father who introduced me to the joys and benefits one derives from living a life of service to humanity and I was quick to realize that no matter how much I tried reaching out as a private citizen, the best and most effective way to truly positively affect a larger swathe of society, was through public office.
“So here I am, years down the line, surrounded by what has got to be the best and most passionate minds drawn from every part of this great nation, all united by a common zeal to positively affect the lives of Nigerians and I must say that it has truly been a humbling, educative and most fulfilling experience.”
As someone who had inside view of the country’s legislative chamber, Oduah said “The point needs to be stated that based on the way our nation is structured, the legislator is actually the first and possibly, the only government contact felt by the citizenry.
“The legislator has had to bear the burden of expectations from the average man on the streets who oftentimes, erroneously expect them to meet every known responsibility, especially executive ones.
“If schools, roads, hospitals, etc are found wanting, the citizenry, by default, views these challenges as signs of failure on our part, and nothing you say to educate them about the clear-cut distinctions between the various arms of government ever manages to hold water.
“And so, the wise legislator has learned to dust his feet and go cap in hand, on a lobbying spree with a view to bridging these gaps and I must commend us for never waning in our zeal & determination to see that we live up to these expectations without losing sight of our core mandate of lawmaking.”
She, however, stated that “The prevailing practice of distributing projects and programs to the various constituencies without visible inputs by legislators from the said areas, is not okay, because we are the only arm that can fairly and equitably distribute anything from government to our various local governments and I daresay that today, most projects seen in communities are legislative projects.
“Therefore, institutions and agencies that castigate, malign, and victimize legislators for trying to ensure that their constituents get things that may seem as petty like Motorbikes, Sewing machines, or even N20,000, are not fair to us because we know that in this country, people can actually kickstart the process of having a better life if only they can have these items.”
The lawmaker said, “For me, legislators (former, serving, and those yet to serve) are the unsung heroes in our democratic experiment and should be celebrated for consistently standing in the gap on behalf of their various peoples.
“On lawmaking, clearly we would be a very chaotic society if we don’t prioritize the need to make laws that will stand the test of time, promote democracy, promote institutions as opposed to creating big men who end up becoming monsters; and so, it is very important that this institution is encouraged.”
Oduah wrote further, “That being said, we must make sure that those that represent us, are those that have character and antecedents worthy of emulation for there is no gainsaying the fact that because legislators are closer to the people, we fall the risk of having a paradigm shift in the kinds of mentors our youth look up to if we do not elect such men and women of sturdy and impeccable character to represent us.
“Again, I must not fail to point out the need for legislators to have good working relationships with the Executive, particularly their home executives because they both have a common goal of providing a better life for their people.
“For me, it has been a very wonderful journey which has afforded me the opportunity to know the Nigeria that I didn’t know before, and must thank you all for allowing me to learn from you.”
She noted that the “9th Senate can beat its chest and celebrate the fact that it has been the most people-oriented Senate since this nation’s experiment with Democracy and I say this with all sense of responsibility for when you go through the plethora of laws passed and eventually assented to, bills like the PIB, Electoral Act, CBN, AMCON, etc, you’d understand why every member of this particular senate should hold their heads up high for being part of the most impactful Senate ever witnessed in our nation’s annals.”
The legislator, therefore, charged citizens “to stop labeling Nigeria as a corrupt country but as a country of hardworking men and women and I daresay that what we lacked is leadership and mentorship.
“But I believe that with the kind of good leadership we currently have, we are on the right path to greatness.
“I say this for a reason because I firmly believe that if you have not had the opportunity to serve this country as a Senator, if you have not served within these hallowed chambers or what I call a mini Nigeria comprising of people from literally every corner of this nation, you will not have a broad-based experience to lead this country.”
“Thankfully, we currently have a President, Vice President President, the SGF, and even the first lady who have passed through the legislative college and have been thoroughly groomed and acquired the experience to confront the many challenges confronting the nation.”
She added, “Going forward, I am of the view that legislators must have a college where everyone that has passed through this arm, must be a member because their accumulated experience and network should not be allowed to die and must be treasured, protected and kept for the good of the nation.
“Even the institutional knowledge they warehouse is huge; moreso, each time they meet, they’re literally having a national conference that can only birth a sound policy that government can utilize.”
Oduah went ahead to applaud the leadership of the 9th Senate, “I want to specially thank and commend the Senate President for his effective leadership in being able to manage and work seamlessly with such an assemblage of diverse leaders.
“He is indeed, a leader’s leader whose wisdom and capacity for empathy, truly needs to be understudied.”
“On the same vein, I commend the Deputy Vice Senate President for being such a wonderful leader anyone would be proud to work with.”
Oduah added, “I am particularly pleased that the current Vice President, is a bonafide member of this 9th Assembly and I retain no doubts that he’d prove a worthy ambassador in this present national assignment.
“To our sagacious and ever dependable First Lady, I simply doff my hat for you as I’m sure many in this room will attest to your warm and accommodating personality which when added to that quick thinking mind, would prove invaluable to this current government.
“Indeed, she is a worthy ambassador of the 9th Assembly.
“To all the female Senators busy breaking that glass ceiling and doing great things, I love you all from the depths of my heart because I stepped into this red chamber to represent my people but also met sisters like you whose bond of friendship, I shall cherish for the rest of my life.
“I thank the good people of Anambra North for the confidence reposed in me to represent them these past few years and shall continually pray for the good of my people.”
