Ned Nwoko; 10th NASS, Leaders Must Focus On Competence, Capability, Strength Of Character, Others – Nwoko

LAGOS – Senator-elect for Delta North, Prince Ned Nwoko has advised the soon-to-be-inaugurated 10th National Assembly to focus on competence, capability, and strength of character in choosing its next set of leaders.

Nwoko, who was a guest on Arise Television at an interview session recently, said that since election and politicking are over, the people’s representatives should concentrate on tackling insecurity, the nagging economy and providing the enabling environment for the provision of infrastructural development for Nigeria.

Nwoko, an international lawyer of repute, also advocated a new approach to the perennial flooding that affects about eight states almost every year, saying that rather than wait for the floods to come and the nation starts fire brigade palliatives by providing tents and provisions, the government should provide preventive measures that would become permanent solutions to the perennial floods.

According to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot interfere with the next Speaker and Deputy Speaker for the House of Representatives as the outgoing Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, was quoted to have suggested.

Nwoko, an international lawyer of repute, stressed that the House of Representatives would decide who would be their Speaker and Deputy Speaker while wishing them the best of luck in making the choice.

“They must understand the need for them to elect credible leadership that would put Nigerians first. That is the primary concern. It is not a matter of choice for senators, governors or other influencers on who becomes the leaders of the House of Representatives.

“We would guide and advise them, but they must be independent in all that they do. They cannot continue as business as usual.

“We have been meeting with them, guiding and advising them and I believe that at the end of the day, they would make the right choices on the leadership.

On zoning of the leadership for the Senate, we will be guided by what the party does. We are all party faithful. At the end of the day, we will also look at credible and focused leadership, we don’t want to have a rubber-stamp Senate.

“That is not what Nigerians need at this point in time. We need leadership for both upper and lower chambers that would be able to checkmate the Executive and make sure that things are done properly for the interest of Nigerians. This is what is uppermost in the minds of many of our members,” he said.

According to him, it’s a wrong assumption that the APC could throw things at 360 members of the House of Representatives believing that they would just take it.

Nwoko stated that this is not going to happen while advising that the ruling party should understand that the mood of the nation is different from what has been happening in the preceding years.

“We just have to wait and see the kind of personality that they are. It’s beginning to emerge the kind of personalities that were elected from the various parts of the country. But I think that they don’t want to be seen to be influenced from outside on the choice that they make, going forward,” he said.

On the call for a northern Senate President by a pressure group, the Senator-elect stated that it depends on the interest they are trying to project, but that at the end, the Assembly will have a choice to make.

He, however, called for a balanced system, where every part of Nigeria feels a sense of inclusion in what is happening in the country.

“We just came from a very difficult campaign and election period and we must seek to make some kind of reconciliatory moves, some kind of appeasement of those parts of Nigeria that have been marginalised.

“Obviously, South-East is one of them, it is on top of them. So, any group that is clamouring for zoning of the Senate Presidency to another part of Nigeria is not being sensitive to the need for national unity that will focus the country to great challenges ahead of us,” he said.

Speaking further on the leadership of the National Assembly, he emphasised the need for competence.

“For me, the most important thing is competence, capability, focus, and strength of character.

“We need a leadership that will think of Nigeria and Nigerians. I was just talking by the way about zoning because you talked about zoning to the northern part of Nigeria being clamoured by a group. Otherwise, for me it’s the capacity, focus, and strength of character of the people to lead.

“If you put newcomers there, it would be a problem. So, we need experience, and capacity and there are many qualities that you need in leadership.

“You need those, who are trusted, those who can say no external influencers that would want to get things that are for the interest of Nigerians done.

“What I expect is for both Houses to go for the best and we know who the best people are. We know the people that are contesting for the various positions, we have known them since 1999 and Nigerians of 1999 are not the same as Nigerians of 2023.

“A lot has happened, we know them by their records, history and dispositions. So, the right choices would be made and I am certain that there would be little or no influence from the outside, except of course with the party’s zoning formula,” he said.

On his legislative agenda, he revealed that the first thing that must be addressed is insecurity, and suggested that the government must dialogue with the agitators from both ends of Nigeria.

He said: “Whether they are ESN, IPOB or Boko Haram, we must dialogue with them. Whatever needs to be done to set that machinery in place must be done immediately. The killings must stop.

“The huge cost of the fight at various ends must stop, so security is a priority that must be addressed. The other one, which is equally important, is the economy.

A lot has happened under this administration. The economy was almost comatose from the inflationary rate to the banking interest rate. I can’t imagine why the government would not think of consumers on the banking interest rates.

“Why would they not think of Nigerians? It is a matter of fact that we were elected to represent the people, so when you are here and you know that Nigerians do not have access to financing, they cannot borrow to buy the things they need; such as cars and houses and you know that banks are making huge profits to the detriments of the masses, then the government must step in and do what they do in civilised societies. These are what I want to focus on.”

He explained that the Judiciary also needs support, saying that they need to move faster than they are moving and that they need to be empowered to make sure that justice is dispensed as at when it is sought for

He said that in Delta State, there are issues of some national roads that need to be done without delay because they are serious hazards to the lives of the people and other road users.

The politician stated that he came from come to an area where there is a lot of hard cry over environmental degradation.

“Talking about Ndokwa Nation, the people there have been abandoned to their fate. It shouldn’t be business as usual talking about gas flaring with pollution here and there.

“Oil companies that are just operating with impunity, all that must be checked. There are many bills and motions that are already being put in place, so the people should expect a lot of fireworks once we are inaugurated,” he said.

Commenting further on zoning, he urged all the parties to think of what is good for Nigeria.

He stated that zoning is what they have been doing for many years, and that this is not the time to abandon it.

He advised the APC to do what is right, and urged the PDP and other political parties to do something similar, saying that this would guide the members of the two chambers in going forward.

“I know that most people would be loyal to their parties. Let’s wait and see what they would do, but they are not going to be insensitive to clamour for some kind of fairness and justice, especially to some sections of the country, South East for instance.

“You have seen the killings that have erupted in the South East lately and you will ask yourself why, what are they fighting for. What can’t we negotiate, appease them and get things working instead of fighting and killing each other. Just few days ago, five policemen were killed in Owerri, Imo State.

“You can imagine that, killing five policemen at once and we just carry on as if nothing has happened, as if it’s normal to kill policemen. These are law enforcement agents that are meant to protect lives and properties.

“Of course, this might continue until we address the issues that led to the killings on both sides. The parties shouldn’t be just thinking about zoning, they should think of it in calming those nerves and dealing with contentious issues,” he said.

He added that the floods between River Niger and Benue areas should be prevented before they devastate the areas.

According to him, about eight states are involved every year, many people would die, and some people would become homeless.

He then advised that this should be addressed and that the nation should be proactive.

“We don’t have to wait for flood to come and start talking about palliatives, building of tents or things like that.

“What we need to do must be done by Nigerians, whether we are in the APC, PDP, Labour or any other party.

“What we must know is that we are Nigerians, we want the best for Nigeria. Party is just a platform for us to be where we are currently.

Afterall, the campaigns and elections, governance must set in. This is where we must show that we are different from those who have been there before. We must strive for results that will be seen by Nigerians. We are just talking about it, we must do it,” he said