Like Senator Ben Murray Bruce like Afikpo Chic.
Playing to the gallery seems to have become the modus operandi of our legislators who rush to the media to make empty bedroom promises, only to shamelessly recant them later.
It will be recalled that at the inception of the 8th Assembly of this 7th dispensation, the Akassa born Senator Ben Murray Bruce, representing Bayelsa East Senatorial zone ran to the media, in the heat the now infamous jumbo wardrobe allowance saga that embroidered the National Assembly, promising without batting an eyelid, that he will donate half of the allowance to Osun state Government, to help them pay the salaries of their workers and according to him, he will use the other to cloth the women of his constituency.
At the end of the day, after Senator Bruce received his allowances, the story changed. Not only did he not fulfil his promise to the Government and people of Osun State, he merely donated 250,000 naira, out of the expected figure of over 17,000,000 naira to the women of Bayelsa East. To defend his turncoat mien, Senator Bruce had a long story to tell, as to how he didn’t understand the details of his allowances.
In the case of Mrs. Maria Ude Nwachi, popularly known as Afikpo Chic, representing Afikpo North-East State constituency in Ebonyi State house of Assembly, she had hit the airwaves a few weeks ago, with the promise of selling-off her status car, a Prado Jeep valued at over 15,000,000 naira, which was given to all the member of Ebonyi State House of Assembly by the Governor, Mr. David Umahi. In making the promise, Afikpo Chic had boasted that she would use the proceeds of the sale of the Jeep, to grant revolving loans to her constituents.
It was not a funny sight to behold an update by the lady who is also known as “BCEL” which variously translates to Baddest Chic Ever Liveth or Best Chic Ever Liveth, depending on her mood, to the effect that she can neither sell the Jeep anymore, nor use the proceeds for loans. And just like Senator Bruce, Mrs. Maria Ude Nwachi had stories to tell upon reneging on her promise.
It is instructive to note that the primary excuse both legislators had to give lends credence to the fact that we have in this dispensation a crop legislators who barely understand the entitlements of their office nor their job functions. Evidently, like Senator Ben Murray Bruce, like Afikpo Chic, Maria Ude Nwachi, the bane of the current dispensation is the preponderance of media enthusiastic legislators who don’t know their rights and so cannot be expected to fight for the rights of their people.
Francis Udoka Ndimkoha
