By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
RT Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, first female Deputy Speaker of Kogi House of Assembly and member representing Ibaji Constituency, has described the 8th Assembly as the best Assembly ever in the history of Kogi State.
Hon. Egwaba who disclosed this while fielding questions from newsmen at the Assembly Complex in Lokoja as part of activities to mark her second year in office as a Legislator said her conviction stemmed from the quality of the current crop of legislators.
She said from the quality, calibre and output of members of the 8th Assembly in the state, the House could be adjudged a rubber stamp, adding, “I’m not saying this because I’m one of them.
“Judging from what happened in the past, at least, I was privileged to know certain things including the calibre of the members that have been coming and going, none can light a candle to the present Assembly.
“For the 8th Assembly, I rate 95 per cent. We cannot get 100 per cent because we still have our own lapses too but we are very good.
For the 8th Assembly to be adjudged “Rubber-stamp”, it depends on from which angle they view us which of course, we may not know.
“Among us, the 25 members, comprising two females and 23 males, I don’t think there’s anybody that can be considered as a push over.
“In the 8th Assembly, we are not weaklings. Before we agreed to anything, we ask questions. We don’t just answer “Ta” because somebody tells us “Ta”.
“We ask questions why we have to concede. When you give us the reason why and we buy into the idea, and reason with you, I think we should go with you.
“The Legislative business is about lobbying. We are here to lobby and attract development to our constituencies but people believe that a Legislator at State or National level should put on the fighting garment and jump into the ring with the Executive.
“To them, fighting is what makes you a good legislator and as far as they are concerned, when they don’t see you doing so, you are termed rubber stamp. I have been severely criticized severally on social media.
“Some of the critics might not really know what the members are passing through.
“Our conviction at the 8th Assembly is that the government is our own, the system is our own, and rather than coming to antagonize or stand in the middle to fight, we should help to build.
“And so, when they see us joining hands with the Executive, helping to build the state, they see us as Rubber-stamp but we are helping to build the state.
“I see us as co-builders with the Executive, not rubber stamp of the system, co-builders of the government”, she said. (Ends)