Hon Barr Innocent Arthur Egwim, is the Honorable Member representing
Ideato North Constituency in the Imo House of Assembly, Committee Chairman, on Judiciary,
Autonomous Communities and Chieftaincy
Affairs and Public Accounts. The legislator chats with the Forum Newspapers, and discusses the challenges of the present day administration and the way forward.
FORUM: May we know
you Hon?
Hon
Arthur Egwim: My name is Hon Barr Innocent Arthur Egwim, The Honorable Member representing
Ideato North constituency in the Imo House of Assembly, Committee Chairman, on Judiciary,
Autonomous Communities and Chieftaincy
Affairs and Public Accounts.
FORUM: Can you
highlight your Audience on your Major Achievements so far?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM: First and foremost, I thank God
Almighty for bringing me thus far in this my new found vocation. As a
legislator, as enshrined in our constitution which is a Grannum, our main
function are oversight, making laws and good representation, this could found
in Section 103, in conjunction with 128, and 129. According to provisions of The
Constitution, Legislators don’t have the executive power; all we do is mere lawmaking,
over sighting and good representation. Above all in my two years, I have been
able to build a 100 capacity ICT HALL
in Urualla Ideato North from my constituent allowance. We are in the era of globalization; all I want to do is to make my constituents
especially the youths computer literates, to be able to compete well among
their peers, and to take them out of the streets, so that they can soar higher.
So I have been able to build a well furnished ICT CENTER in Ideato North. I have been able as a legislator to be
chief sponsor of seven people oriented bills. I have been able to set the mandate and the
programs of this present government to my constituency, by having a good
representative. Above all, I have been able to bring governance to the people
of Ideato north by been the chief mover of motion on the floor of the house and
getting overwhelming support of members and final resolution of the house to
the state of infrastructural decay in Ideato North, especially urging the State
Governor to build bridge across Uruashi River. The electricity problem in Ideato
North is my main headache. But, knowing full well that I don’t have the
executive power, I am at the mercy of the executive to all these. I have also an ongoing projects in Obodoukwu which
will start functioning soon, I have also one at Ndiawa and Akokwa, all these
and many others I have been able to do are within the limits of my resources.
As a legislator I have move several bills, four of them are awaiting The Governor’s
consent and motions which if you give me the time I will
read to you.
FORUM:What are
your Greatest Challenges as a Legislator?
HON EGWIM: While doing my campaign, there were many
promises made, as a first timer, I thought it will be a thoroughfare, but
coming into the office, I discovered there are limits one can go as a legislator,
for instance you do not have access to fund. As a legislator, you don’t have
autonomy, there is no financial autonomy for The House of Assembly, so we still
depend on The Executive Governor to fund us and if the governor is to fund us,
we know that we don’t need to compromise in that our real assignment which is
to over sight the executive. So lack of financial autonomy for The House of Assembly
can be seen as a constitutional lacuna, this didn’t bring the best in me as a lawyer,
public analyst, human right activist, and social crusader, but here one is
limited to some certain functions. State Houses of Assembly don’t have input in
their yearly budget, the executives fund the house, so this may not be good for
democracy. We expect things directly
from The Governor. There is no independency between the three arms of
government, The Executive, The Judiciary and The Legislature as we can see in
the constitution. It is a major
challenge. As President General of my town Isiokpo, I belong the association of
Ideato North federation of PGs where we discuss how to move our constituency
forward, but the fact I don’t control state budget, this makes my vision for
provision of infrastructure in ideato North a mirage. I am handicapped. I have
that vision to help my people. Up till now there is no light in Ideato North,
there is no good road, but I don’t have that executive power to do so neither
the fund too. That is the problem. I still believe these will be achieved one
day. I am not a ranking member, nor a principal officer of Imo State House of
Assembly. There is an unusual kind of system in place at the moment. I cry
every day because what I envisaged is not what I am seeing.
FORUM: You talked
of the bills and the motions you have passed and the ones you want to pass, can
your highlight your audience on most these bills and motions?
HON EGWIM: In the first week when I got into the house
of assembly in June 2015, the first motion I moved was house motion number 3 ,
which is motion on the ban of the production, sale, distribution, acquisition
and consumption of locally brewed gin called kai kai, because you find out that
some of our youths have now become criminals because of the intake of this. The
bill was successful and the resolution was reached by the house.
Second motion was the condemnation of
incessant rampaging and murderous activities of the Fulani herdsmen especially
one that happened in Ukpabi Nimbo. This motion I moved was even transmitted to
the federal government to let them know that we don’t want such murderous
activities in the eastern part of the country. In Imo State now, anything that
has to do with herdsmen is condemned because of these motions.
To my credit, I have also motion No.33 to
urge his Excellency to direct Eze Imo and Chairman of The Traditional Rulers and
Council of Elders to ensure the abolition of obnoxious cultural practices meted
on widows and female children in the state in contravention of the laws and constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The final motion is the motion to halt
cases of missing results, missing examination scripts and manipulation of
results in all Imo State Owned Tertiary Institutions. Sometimes you find out that
some students out of maybe sexual harassments or personal interests of teachers
will start looking for their results. So I moved this motion which later was transferred
to The Ministry of Education.
I have also bill No.22 a bill for a law to
establish as agency for the protection of rights and privileges of people with
disabilities in the State. Today many agencies, hospitals, and parastatals don’t
have any privilege for people with disabilities.
Also I have a bill No. 39 for the
regulation of the activities in tertiary institutions owned and controlled by
Imo State; this bill will help halt and checkmate some occultic activities and
other irregularities in tertiary institutions. Then bill No.19, a bill to
regulate rights and obligations under tenancy agreements and the relationship
between landlord and tenants, including the procedure for the recovery of
premises and for connected purposes. You find out that sometimes, a student
will pay his noses out; it regulates how people are charged and the amount chargeable
by landlords.
I
have also a bill to establish the Imo State Multi-door court house. I have also a bill which is the Imo Agency
Regulation Bill, a section whereby people will be practicing estate management
without having the pains of going through formal education and a lot of them in
my name, and more still to come.
FORUM: It is now a
glaring fact that Nigeria is undergoing serious challenges both politically and
economically, what do you think are the major causes of this?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM: We really have to be prudent about this. We still can save the situation. Before it used
to be a thoroughfare where everybody can do what he or she wants, we don’t
believe that people can keep billions. The situation is like that of somebody
driving left hand drive suddenly he changes to right hand drive, it will take
him time to adjust, but with pain you will come out of it. It is like me who is
a fat man, it will take me time and pain to shield weight, so I believe there
will still be light at the end of the tunnel, with the programs and administration
of the APC led government of Buhari. Nigeria has never been at home with
discipline and you want to inculcate discipline in the way we spend money, our behavioral
activities, it is something that will take time it is not easy. I believe that
with time it will surely be over.
FORUM: Unemployment
is one of the major problems facing the youths today, in what ways do you think
this problem can be eradicated in our time?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:Youths from their nursery schools should be
taught on how to go for entrepreneurship training and skill acquisitions
programs. In some western countries, even if you are a graduate, you must be
skilled in one major thing. Now is the time to shift from white collar job and
have entrepreneurial skills and training. Today, Ideato boasts of rich and
wealthy men today because they used most of their times to learn trade . If we
can say bye bye to this issue of let us go and find where to find job, things
will start working well again. Entrepreneurship programs should be introduced
in our primary and secondary schools.
FORUM: Politics is
a call to serve the people, from your experiences in the government; do you
think that this conception of politics has been maintained?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:Politics is a call to serve but today
because of this mentality of acquisition of wealth people now lose focus. There
is nothing wrong with politics; politics brings development to the nooks and
crannies of the country and the state. I am representing Ideato North, so also
other honorable members. This is simply a conglomerate of people in one arm of
government. Without representative system of government this won’t be something
like that, so to me, there is no alternative to democracy.
FORUM: What has
the present administration in Nigeria and state contributed to the alleviation
of poverty for the citizenry?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:One of the cardinal programs of this
present administration of Buhari is agriculture. Our people should go back to
farm. Let us do away with looking for white collar jobs. Your hand cannot
deceive you, what the present administration is telling us is that we need to
eat what we consume. The government has been able to take us back to let us
know where we are coming from. Let us go back to Nigerian made products, I
think from the next four to five years we will make it. Let us pray for the country
also so that there will be constant lights, there will be good roads and other
things will be added. Ideato North needs
electricity more than any other things. I have made a several visits to EEDC
offices, in Enugu and here in Orlu without any concrete response. Since 2011,
there has never been electricity in Ideato North. It is fundamental problem.
FORUM: You know
there were great expectations from this present administration, do you think
they have failed or do we still have hope?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:There is always light at the end of the
tunnel. The other government it took them about fifteen years. This case is
like a house. If you rent a house or you want to move over to a new house, you
need renovation with team spirit. So for me this present APC led administration
has done very very well, as far as am concerned, because the truth has been
decaying in the system and if it has decayed it takes time. It is like an old
man who wants to make a recall, it takes you time to go and learn WHICH IS
quite different if you start from the beginning. Before it has been business as usual until
this administration comes in. So there is still hope.
FORUM: What
message do you have for your constituency, for I know they will read this
interview?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:They should have hope, believing that I
don’t have the executive power, I don’t have the power to give job, I don’t have
the authority to give contracts, but what I am certain is the power of good representation
and law making, I urge them to have hope believing that our light must
shine. There is something we call
ranking rule in Imo House of assembly, which entails that if you start changing
anyone that is representing you every four years, it takes him time for the
person to adjust, but if you have more years, it makes you master of the game.
So they still need to give me more time to finish the good things I started and
those yet to come. Parliamentary cum legislative business entails longevity, so
I seek my understanding with present unusual system of things as it presently
stands.
FORUM: Any Message
for the Diocese?
HON
ARTHUR EGWIM:Am a catholic, an ex seminarian for that
matter, they should forgive me for the things I didn’t do well, and the
obligations that I didn’t meet up with, I pray God in His infinite mercy to give me the
financial wherewithal to worship our Lord
Jesus Christ and give honor to her mother. Our Orlu diocese should preach
against men and women suffering from poverty of the mind. If you steal public
funds, build houses and fleet of cars while there is no electricity around your
neighbourhood, you are suffering from poverty of the mind and soul. You can
deceive people but not God. There is judgement at the last day. I am proud of
my diocese. Thank you so much…
