Hon. Stella Dorgu is the immediate past member representing Sagbama/Ekeremo Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last four years.
While reflecting on her experience as a federal lawmaker with DAILY POST correspondent, Atek’ojo Samson Usman penultimate week, she reasons that the National Assembly should present the process of national budget and not Executive as it is being practiced in Nigeria. She is also of the view that Nigerian lawmakers are grossly underpaid compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world. She equally speaks on the hazards inherent in law making in Nigeria.
The founder of Ayamara Foundation, a private independent non-governmental organization based in Sagbama, Bayelsa State with offices in Abuja, Lagos and the USA bares her mind that the philanthropic organization would continue to cater for the needy despite her exit from the National Assembly.
Excerpts:
What has been your experience in the art and science of legislation in the 7th National Assembly as a woman?
When people asked questions because I am a woman, I would say it is misgiving and it is high time the press desisted from such notions. Yes, I am a woman, very proud woman indeed and very proud to represent women’s constituency because they are few of us, but the art of legislation is neither male nor female inclined. When you talk about the recognition of a woman in the Senate or the House of Representatives, we do not feel any difference between our male counterparts, but we pray and continue to work for more female representation because we feel that there is a kind of parity or equity in women representation, without which development of the country would not be as fast as practicable. It is not because I am a woman or the other person is a man when it comes to legislation, but what each one can bring to the table for legislation in national interest.
I see your state or Federal Constituency with a peculiar situation because of its terrain. In the last four years, how have you used the legislative instrument to collaborate with the immediate past government of President Goodluck Jonathan to consciously work for its development?
The last part of your question is too general. But with what we do now, may be in years to come, legislative process will work differently, but for now, it does not work the same way it works in other parts of the world. What we do for our constituency is to identify what people need more on personal levels and endeavour to make sure that those things are given to them. But at a more national level, it is not so for the simple fact that we have not worked the budgetary processes the way it should work. It is unfortunate. In other places, budgetary processes reside with the National Assembly. We have not done that in the last sixteen years. That is a big gap in our processes. It is not and will never be the same thing if the Executive writes the budget and brings to the National Assembly for it to be ratified. It is the preserve of the National Assembly, especially the House of Representatives to put together national budget in collaboration with the Executive because if you look at budgetary processes in America from the beginning and other places, yes the President has a say, but he has to negotiate with the Congress to make sure that the budget input tallies with the national agenda of his policy thrust for that fiscal year. Unfortunately, we have not developed or advanced to that level, but we are going to that level because legislators are becoming aware of what their roles and responsibilities are and the executives must understand what their roles and align them with the overall development of the country.
So what is your understanding of the orientation of legislators relating to the yearnings of electorates of their various constituencies that voted them into office?
Expectedly, legislators in Nigeria have come to the National Assembly in the last couple of years with the compassion to work out the process of development. Like I said, they are still working out that process and things are going on well. I’m sure that what we have experienced was much better than those of previous ones who came in blindly so to speak. We are going to get there. It is an imperative of development that we have people who are experienced. For example, in Committees and if you look at other climes, Senators, legislators stay for a very long period of time working in a particular committee. Of course, they have researchers working with them, unfortunately; our media does not do enough research to understand these things. You just take up issues and there is a bandwagon effect and people keep talking about it that Nigeria Legislators are this and that. How can you say that? In America for instance, the government pays for everything. A legislator from California in the U.S would not have less than 20 legislative aides including researchers, but here in Nigeria, it is just a blanket of five. One Senior legislative aide, assistant legislative, legislative aide, secretary and personal assistant. What can you really do? If you watch television during hearings, you see a Chairman of Committee and retinue of aides behind him so that when people are responding and they are unnecessarily evasive, aides are sending notes to their principal. We are not there yet. Some of us who understand, really feel very bad about where we are at this point, but we cannot give up, believing that we will get there one day. I believe also that it is the responsibility of the press to understand this. Go and do your research and don’t expect me to do a research for you.
How many bills have you sponsored so far?
I have just been here for three years. When you are coming for the first time, you don’t know how things work, but I have sponsored 3 bills which have gone through second reading, a couple of motions that are of national importance too, but that may not be too important, it is your contribution to what goes on in your committees and on the floor of the House. That is what you use to gauge or evaluate performance of a member and we do not have a proper electronic voting system. When you have a proper electronic voting system, it helps to keep a legislator focused so that your constituents would determine what you will vote for.
We do know that you have a foundation call Iyamara Foundation. What motivated you into it and what is the guarantee for its survival now that you are leaving the National Assembly?
Basically, I did not establish the foundation because I am a member of National Assembly. It was just an opportunity for me to have launched it some time ago and I have always been doing it. We did massive medical outreach programmes. We are still doing it and in this summer, we are going to have leadership training for girls because it is part of those activities that we are into. If my father did not believe in girl-child education, I would not have been here. So it is my responsibility to downplay Nigeria infant mortality rate. It is a passion that the foundation would cater for orphans, widows and so on and we will go ahead despite all odds.
Comments