From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The 10th House of Representatives prides itself as the Peoples House. For the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Mike Etaba, the committee, which adjudicates over petitions from aggrieved members of the public, is one of the avenues issues affecting Nigerians.
Etaba, in this interview, speaks on the activities on the Public Petitions Committee of the 10th House. The lawmakers also shared his thoughts on proposals by some of his colleagues for the country to return to a parliamentary system of government and six years single tenure for the president and governors.
How has it been presiding over the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives in the last one year?
It has been quite challenging serving the general public, most especially the Nigerian people; the House having been named the People’s House. That is where the main challenges come from. For us, and for me as the chairman, we have carried on with the job effectively and we are moving on. And Nigerians are getting the benefit of having a committee in the House of Representatives, especially in the 10th Assembly, that is actually active to serve them.
Can you give us an insight into some of the issues that the committee has resolved?
When I came in, one of the results we got was to secure N30 million compensation for someone who was injured through the defunct NEPA, which NELMCO took over and they were to pay compensation for N30 million. We have been able to also restore some persons that have lost their jobs. We are in the process of repatriating over 60,000 pounds through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from Dubai. A Nigerian lost his life in the course of doing a labourer job in Dubai and Dubai government has been trying to trace the Nigerian. And his people brought a petition, and we have been able to get into the details of what actually happened. In the next two weeks or three weeks, that 60,000 pounds will be in Nigeria for the family. Apart from that, we have had series of achievements. There was one matter that has to do with the relieve of a lecturer or so. That matter was handled and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, also came. They couldn’t get the matter through because the facts were too glaring. When we are sitting, we make sure we have the Nigerian constitution, the civil service rules, also our standing rules by our side to make that in the matters we are handling, as you quote the Nigerian constitution (as amended); we are taking you to the section. As you quote the Federal Civil Service rules, when it has to do with the Federal Civil Service rules, we take you to those sections. Then we come back to our rules – what gives us the power and how we should preside over such matters. And we tell you how the matter should go. For now, so good, we have been moving on effectively to help Nigerians.
One of the challenges in the parliament is the issue of compliance, especially when it has to do with the Executive Arm of government. How have you been able to ensure compliance with the resolutions of the committee?
I have been in the House since 2015. This is my third term here. And I am happy that, if not for anything, I have an institutional knowledge of how the House operates. For now, the challenge you mentioned which is compliance. This compliance is actually from the House. Because if we have a resolution that has been reached, the House is supposed to follow it up to the letter; not just the Committee on Compliance or maybe the Committee on Public Petitions. The easiest way to get justice is through the House. And how do you get justice? When a resolution is passed, they take it to legal department. The legal department is the one warehousing our resolutions. What you need to do now, if your resolution is not implemented, take that resolution. If you go through the committee on (legislative) Compliance and they are not complying, take it to the court, enforce it. Ask them to do what they are supposed to do. If they are not complying, comeback to the House, we will make sure it is complied with. The 10th House is ready, it is willing and it is also giving attention to every detail, and to every matter that leaves this assembly, to make sure its resolution is highly respected and is implemented.
What are the major challenges?
The major challenges are the MDAs not attending to most of these petitions. For funding, we don’t have any challenge. Because the House under Dr Tajudeen Abbas is funding this committee to its full capacity, the way we should function effectively. It is just for individuals- petitioners and respondents- to know that once your petition is scheduled and you are summoned, you need to appear before the committee to explain the details of your petition and also possibly adopt your petition, so that the petition can be a working document for the House. It is not just laying a petition before the House. When it gets to the committee, we need to take responsibility for each petition. For petitioners to say this petition is actually coming from me. It is not a ghost petition. So , when you adopt it, we take it as a working document to be able to go on with it. And then ask questions. If there are submissions to be done by both parties, they do. So, we don’t have any challenges per se, apart from the petitioners and respondents; having laid your petition and you have been summoned, just attend to your petition.
What happens in instances when there are petitions against MDAs and they repeatedly fail to honour the committee’s summons? I know recently the NNPC was supposed to appear, but they failed. In such instances what does the committee do?
When I came in, the major challenges for appearance had been NNPCL, Julius Berger, even DSTV, they hardly appear before the committee. So, what I did was that I exercised the powers of the committee and issued warrants of arrest. When I issued warrants of arrest, NNPCL actually apologised and said they were going to resolve most of those issues. We try to as much as possible to relate with MDAs, individuals and organizations because the House is called the Peoples House. In respective of the notion and the impression you have about a particular person, it can’t be taken so personal in respect to your discharge of duty and responsibility. Yes, NNPCL has not been fair to most of the matters before us and also to Nigerians, that has brought matters, but we have tried to resolve this matters. If you watch not just NNPC. I have issued warrants of arrests on IOCs. Almost 20-something of them. Even CBN. That is not for them to be crucified. It just for them to know that a system they felt is not working is working. We have tried as much as possible to make sure that we relate with the MDAs, the way human beings should relate with one another. So moving forward, we have taken a decision that if you don’t appear one, two, three times and the Nigerian that brought the petition has appeared more than three , four times; the committee can take a decision. Not just warrant of arrest. We ask you to say your prayers. What are your clams? You say your claims and we make a resolution and pass it to the House. And the House considers it and then implementation. It is not only issuing warrants of arrest. But what are your prayers? And who is supposed to defend is not there, you take a decision. That means he has accepted that those things you have outlined are true. So, we give it to you to go with it.
In the last one year, there have been very audacious bills by some of your colleagues. One of those bills is the bill seeking a return to parliamentary system of government, and there is also a bill proposing a single tenure of six years for President and governors. What is your take on these bills?
The bill for a single tenure of six years for president and governors, I don’t subscribe to it. If you say eight years for each president to come onboard and do what he needs to do. You need to give each political zone eight years to be able to create an impact. At least let Nigerians know that if you are from the South, South also has people that are intelligent that can deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerian. If you are from the North, they should know. It is not about six years. Six years is not enough for you to deliver the dividends that you are supposed to deliver. That is my take. For the return to parliamentary system of government , I don’t subscribe to it. We are not one language speaking country, that you expect that what happens in Dubai should happen in Nigeria. It doesn’t work like that. Our tribes are different. We have Igbo. We have Yoruba. We have Efik. Like Cross River where I came from, we have about 80 languages. 80 languages. My language is different five minutes drive from the next person. So, how do you marry that, to say you want to do a parliamentary system, it can’t work.
Have you considered the fact that presidential system is said to be very expensive and we are talking about reducing cost of governance?
It is not about the cost. It is about our human nature. Once we put some indices right, all those cost will be behind us. There are better ways we can reduce cost. It is just the notion of governance that we have within our system. If you say okay, you are reducing cost, there should be a way you can reduce cost. Parliamentary system will not come to reduce the problem. And it can’t fly.
What would you ask Nigerians to do when they have issues?
I will say my dear Nigerians, this committee is here for you . And the Peoples House, the 10th Assembly under the leadership of Dr Tajudeen Abbas, is doing excellently well with anything that has to do with public petitions. When the chairman of a committee tells you the committee is well funded, you should be aware that you don’t need to bring money to file your petition. And if anybody is telling you that you need money to file your petition, please report the person to the chairman or any of the committee members and we will iron the matter out. Nigerians have a window to address their matters without spending a dime. We have pro bono lawyers. You don’t need to pay anybody. If you know you can’t take the matter in the committee, we give you a lawyer that can take the matter. And then he proves your matter. If you case is right, we give it to you.