[size=14pt]Ogogoro law should be implemented in Benue – Benue Speaker[/size]
on NOVEMBER 23, 2011 · in POLITICS

BY PETER DURU

Hon. Dave Iorhemba, the new Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly is what one would call a child of circumstance. He came on board recently after the Appeal Court sitting in Makurdi upturned the election of the immediate past Speaker, Hon. Terhemen Taazor. In this interview, Barr. Iorhemba who represents Guma State Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party speaks on his agenda for the 7th Assembly among other nagging issues. Excerpts

What is your agenda for the Assembly?

Government is a continuum. We started this journey since 2007 and his Excellency, the Governor of the State, Dr. Gabriel Suswam has already set out an agenda for his government and it is that agenda that we are pursuing. We have crossed over from the (first) four years to another second term and we are still continuing with the agenda which he termed “Our Benue Our Future”.

As a legislative house, all we intend to do is to enact laws for good governance of Benue State. We also want to collaborate with the executive to create an enabling environment for investors to come in to do business in the state. The laws must be there to protect the business man’s investment and that is our agenda for now.

The parliamentary workers in the assembly have threatened a show down over the nonpayment of their accumulated out-fit allowances. How is the leadership reacting to it?

Well, part of the money has been paid to them and I am sure they are working out the modalities for the payment of the last part of the allowance.

The code of conduct bureau has complained over the lukewarm attitude by the past and present assembly members to the activities of the bureau. Are you concerned?
The people of the state are complaining about non implementation of laws particularly, the child right law and the Ogogoro law which have been passed but without implementation by the executive. What is the state assembly doing to ensure implementation of these laws?

You see, the issue of execution of laws passed by the state assembly is not an issue of the assembly again. Once a law has been enacted by the assembly, and the governor assents to it, it becomes a law of the state. And so, we are calling upon the relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that these laws are enforced. It is not for us.

We don’t have any oversight functions over execution of laws. The laws are in place and what the Benue people are expected to do is to abide by the laws. For instance, the Ogogoro law is just like any other law captured in the penal code, so if any person is found violating it, the law should take its course by prosecuting and convicting the person.

And I am sure if that is done the people will become afraid. I also encourage the media to make noise about this to encourage the law enforcement agents to implement these laws; let them make arrests, let them arraign people in court and subsequently, try them and that is how it is supposed to be. I urge Benue People generally to be respecters of laws. It is not just merely passing the laws; it is the enforceability of the laws that matters. The law enforcement agencies should be up and doing in their jobs.

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