Members of my constituency are happy with me – Hon Abang
Hon Victor Abang, a grassroots politician and pragmatic leader, is the legislator representing Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency of Cross River State in the House of Representatives. Abang, a one-time Special Adviser on National Assembly matters to erstwhile Governor Ben Ayade, held different positions in the Office of the Senate President from 2005 to 2016.
He was Chief of Staff to Distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, when the ex-Senate Leader was Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), between 2016 and 2019. He is viewed as one of the performing lawmakers in the 10th House of Representatives, working assiduously to facilitate people-oriented projects and programmes to their constituencies.
The astute lawmaker, believed to have the unwavering support of his constituents, has been widely applauded and praised for always standing tall and boldly speaking for his people on the floor of the House, since the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 13, 2023. A gentleman politician and peace promoter, Abang is seen to have made great efforts to ensure the delivery of dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of his constituents.
In this interview, the parliamentarian, a visionary leader, speaks on his two years as member representing Calabar Municipality and Odukpani Federal Constituency in the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly. He gave the assurance that he would not relent in his determination to ceaselessly offer the quality representation to his people.
Excerpts:
Having spent two years in office as the legislator representing Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, how would you say the journey has been so far?
It has been eventful. We have learnt a lot. And we have tried to impact on our people. A lot of impactful and life-changing motions and bills have been processed. Motions have been moved. Bills have been sponsored. The two years have been quite eventful, but not enough to do all that our people are yearning for. But we will keep pushing every day as it comes.
What have you achieved for the people of your constituency in the last two years? In what ways would you say you have impacted their lives?
Several ways. In our boundary in Cameroon, we have halted the incursion of the Cameroonians through the National Boundary Commission. We intervened with a motion to address the Nigeria-Cameroon border crisis affecting Danare and Biajua in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State. We insisted via the motion that Nigeria cannot afford to risk losing another part of its territory in Cross River State to Cameroun, after the earlier loss of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. So, we were steadfast in our pursuit for a just resolution of the boundary dispute. The motion led to a key resolution to prevent the ceding of Danare and Biajua Communities to the Republic of Cameroon.
Through NEMA, we have supported our people a couple of times that we have been affected by natural disasters. Relief materials worth millions of naira were distributed to victims of fire outbreak, windstorm and elephant attacks in my constituency. We have facilitated quite a number of employments and projects. We are advocating for the establishment of one or two tertiary institutions. And also, advocating for the establishment of healthcare institutions – a federal medical centre and the completion of a Specialist Hospital in Ikom. Those are some of the things we are doing.
The motions and bills we have initiated in the last two years were designed to boost education, healthcare, agriculture and so on, for the benefit of my constituents. We have drawn government attention to the construction of certain roads in the interest of our people. We facilitated the installations of streetlights and telecom equipment in various communities across my constituency. We lobbied for the construction of blocks of classrooms in some schools. We pushed for construction of boreholes to provide water for our people and the distribution of palliatives to cushion the effect of economic hardship. We have carried out medical outreaches, offering free medical care to some of our people. We have equally embarked on various training and empowerment programmes geared towards human capacity building within my constituency.
How are your constituents taking your representation with all these things that you have done?
Well, the thing is that you cannot satisfy everybody. However, I think majority of the people are happy with me. Our party members are also happy with me, because I have tried to give them effective representation. My people are very much satisfied with what we are doing and their support has been quite unflinching. Majority of my people are delighted and they are giving me the necessary support.
Lawmakers are said to always get much pressure from their constituents. How do you cope with such pressures?
Well, I applied for the job. And so, I will have to live with everything that comes with it. I cannot complain because it’s a job I applied for. So, it behoves on me to manage every situation I find myself in while doing the job and representing the good people of my constituency. Yes, there are a lot of pressures on us. But what can you do? Since you are the one who asked for the job, you have to endeavour to endure the pressures and manage the situation. That is it! You don’t have to be seen complaining. You should rather do all you can to bear the pressures and tolerate everyone. That is what makes you a leader.
Are you worried that lawmakers are being disturbed for the execution of projects which constitutionally should be the responsibility of the executive?
Our people are yearning for development. So, however it comes, they don’t care. All they want to see is development. Yes, our main responsibility as parliamentarians is to make laws for the good of the Nigerian people. In doing that we are equally expected to advocate for them. You are their voice in the parliament. We don’t do projects. It is the executive that executes projects. We represent the people by making laws. But we can lobby for projects. We can lobby the executive to get projects that are beneficial to our people sited in our constituencies. That is what we do. So, all those projects that are done in our constituencies are products of the lobby we do. If you lobby well, you get projects sited in your constituency for the benefit of your people. That doesn’t mean that those projects are done by you. They are done by the executive. And the main credit must go to the executive because they are doing those projects. All a lawmaker does is to facilitate the siting of the projects in his or her constituency.
The impression some have is that money is being given to lawmakers to carry out these projects. Isn’t it so?
No! No money is being given to lawmakers. You just advocate, and lobby the executive to site the projects in your constituency if they can. And if the budgetary provisions permit them, they will site the projects for you in your place. It is a very wrong impression for some people to think that we are being given money. The lawmakers have nothing to do with money as far as project execution is concerned. It is the executive that handles the projects after you have succeeded in lobbying for the projects to be sited in your constituency.
How would you describe the leadership of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, who presides over the affairs of the Green Chamber?
The Speaker has been doing very well. He carries members along. It is not easy to administer 360 people of equal status by virtue of their election as lawmakers from different political parties. The Speaker has been trying. He manages members and the affairs of the House very well, and contributions to debates. His leadership to me has been quite okay. The 10th Assembly under the current Speaker has been smooth. He has exhibited exemplary leadership, promoting a culture of inclusivity and democratic principles within the House.
How has the general performance of the 10th Assembly been in terms of proper lawmaking?
We have sponsored a lot of bills. I don’t have the statistics. But a lot of bills have been sponsored and a lot of motions have been moved. There is hardly any day that you don’t get a bill or motion that seeks to intervene in the polity, and issues affecting Nigerians. So, the House has done creditably well. As a parliament we have shown much concern about the plight of Nigerians. We have ensured the enactment of laws that are meant to transform the economy and make life better for the Nigerian citizens.
You worked in the National Assembly as an aide in the Office of the Senate President for over 10 years. Would you say such experience gave you an ample opportunity of a quick and better understanding of the process of lawmaking and the workings of the legislature now that you occupy a seat as a lawmaker in the Green Chamber?
There is always a difference being an aide and a legislator. Upon becoming a lawmaker, I realised that there were so many things I didn’t know as a legislative aide which I am knowing now. But the difference is that I had an idea, a broad idea of how things are being done in the National Assembly. But times have changed. The things that used to happen 10 years ago in the National Assembly which were taken for granted, the institution has become more mature. There is more understanding of the work of the institution now. And the Institute of Legislative Studies has really made a significant impact, raising the capacity of the legislators.
What would be your honest assessment of the governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu after he has spent two years in office to pilot the affairs of your state?
The governor has done wonderfully well. In two years, he has tried to reposition state institutions for better service delivery to the good and loving citizens of Cross River State. He is a compassionate leader. In the last two years, he has done a lot of interventions in different areas to transform Cross River State and put smiles on the faces of our people. The governor has so far demonstrated the capacity to perform and deliver. In just two years, his footprint of development is seen everywhere in the areas of infrastructure, building and repairing of roads, agriculture, education, healthcare, electricity, security and tourism. His leadership style and people-first approach to governance have been quite unique. Under his watch, there has been peace in our state. The governor is carrying everybody along. And Cross Riverians are generally feeling the impact of good governance under his leadership.
What about the President? How would you assess his two years?
The president has done well. He made the very hard decisions first. He started by taking the very tough decisions – the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of exchange rates. Many politicians will first of all start with the easier things. By the time they want to take the most difficult decisions, oftentimes they don’t have the courage to do so. But this president started with the most difficult things. And from the statistics we get every day, the economy is improving gradually. I strongly believe that in due course we will definitely be better for it.
How about the pain and hardship that these decisions have caused Nigerians?
Yes, without pain there is no gain. There will be some pains for us to get the gains of the decisions. The tough decisions taken by the president are for the good of the country. They are obviously not meant to hurt Nigerians, but rather to pave the way for the country’s economic growth and prosperity. That is why we have to endure and continue to support the president as he works to secure a better and brighter future for Nigeria. Mr. President means well for our dear country. The pain we are experiencing from his tough decisions is temporary.
Speak to your constituents in Boki/Ikom Federal Constituency. What would be your words of encouragement to them as you enter the second half of the mandate, they gave you?
Well, just to assure them that I promise them a voice in the National Assembly. And that voice has been loud and clear. We are getting more and more experience as the days go by. So, it could always be better. I want to assure my constituents that I will not at any time disappoint them. I appreciate their decision to give me the mandate to be their representative in the Green Chamber. I hold the mandate very dearly. And I thank them for their support thus far. I will continue to do all I can to justify the confidence they have reposed in me.
