Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has stressed the need to deploy the experience amassed by former lawmakers for national development, especially during socio-economic turmoil.
Dogara said this while speaking at the House of Representatives Reunion 2024, which had the theme “Rebuilding the Foundations of Democracy: Learning from the Past and Shaping a Resilient Future,” held in Abuja on Thursday.
As part of the country’s leadership and their role at one point or another, it was high time for former lawmakers to come together. Hence, nation-building was about what each could do individually and collectively.
“Whether we like it or not, we are part of the elite in this country, having served at the level of the House of Representatives. It is said that what builds a nation is elite consensus, and what destroys a nation is elite complacency. Once you see a nation declining, it means that the elites are complacent, and the only way we can arrest this destructive trajectory is for us to come here occasionally and meet with ourselves; as they say, iron sharpens iron, and we speak with one voice.
“Those of us who know where the proverbial bones are buried, having served in various capacities in this nation, it is essential for us to pull ourselves together, pool our resources together to see what kind of intervention we can give to the leadership of this country. You want to pool resources together, both physical, material, and intellectual resources, and then it is one thing to speak, which is another thing for you to be heard.
“But like I said when I was speaking, even if they will not hear us, it is not enough excuse for us to keep quiet, having known what has happened in this country and the trajectory we’re headed to. So it is important for us to begin to pull ourselves together and see what we can do to serve this country,” Dogara said.
On his part, a former deputy speaker and governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, said lawmakers produced over the years were resource bases for the nation that could not be wished away but utilised for national stability.
He said, “When you have resources, you want to tap on those resources. So a gathering of these parliamentarians who have been on from the 1960s on public service and down to the 1970s, the Second Republic to the Third Republic, which was still bent, and then the Fourth Republic, which is still enduring, is essential. You bring them together to share components.
“And I think, essentially, how we deepen the growth of democracy. This is all about a reunion, put, get to meet yourselves. It’s possible that I left the House of Reps in 2015, and it’s possible that I may not have met some of the members who were with us at that time…we put heads together to make Nigeria greater than where we are now.”
Speaking earlier, former Leader of the House and convener of the Reunion, Hon. Mulikat Akande Adeola, said that as former lawmakers, they were a group of people who had been in all the constituencies in the country and were in touch with the people.
“I expect that we should be the ones holding the government to account. You know, anytime a government is in power. We can speak to policies. We can talk about government actions, whatever they are doing. We can demand an explanation or accountability.
“That will put the government on their toes, even though some of us might also be in government then. They know that we represent people in the country, and we are still representing because even some of those who are there now will become former, maybe by the next election,” she said.
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