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Representative of the Year

Posted by ThisDay Online on 2005/01/05 | Views: 627 |

Representative of the Year


ANTHONY AZIEGBEMI
He is best noted for his erudite contributions. Though soft spoken, he has an uncommon courage in taking populist positions. He is most recently remembered for the way he took on the illegal oil-bunkering cartel in Nigeria.

He has so far resisted threats, offers and lobbies to abandon the probe, which is yielding dizzying tales that have led to the trial of top Naval chiefs. He has added the Navy, Police, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the National Maritime Authority, the Nigerian Ports Authority and the State Security Services (SSS) chiefs to his stable of those docked in the House on the matter. The unending list is now about taking on banks said to be the sponsors and conduit pipes of the illegal oil transactions, which has cost the country trillions in foreign currencies.

He rode to the crest of the House under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party and represents Esan South East/North East Federal Constituency of Edo State.

Born September 1958, he holds a Doctorate Degree in Economics from St. Petersburg Institute of Finance andEconomics.

Married with a child, his legislative interest is in areas of  tax reforms. He first joined the House in 1999.


Usman bugaje
Born September 1951 and represents Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency of Katsina State, Bugaje spearheaded the formation and is the facilitator of the "Forum for Democracy and Good Governance". He contested the position of the Speaker of the House in 2003 but lost to Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari.

He has consistently pressed for the independence of the Legislature, with reservations on the compromises that the House has indulged President Olusegun Obasanjo, which has so far ushered in a period of peace and harmony between the Executive and the Legislature.

He holds a Doctorate Degree from University of Khartoum, Sudan has "Political Adviser", as his profession. Prior to his stint in the House, he was a Special Adviser (Political) to the Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
His interest is specially in the area of Education and Foreign Affairs although he has been a strong critic of the budgeting process and implementation in the country.

He hopes to entrench "A true democratic culture and achieve great developmental strides" before the end of his present tenure in office. He is married with 10 children.
He is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).


WEST-IDAHOSA EHOGIE
An erudite lawmaker who makes submissions with a legal bent, he has spearheaded the reform of prisons in the country. He has concluded the tours and is working on effecting a reform, which would improve not only the conditions of the prisons but make them conform to international standards.

Another area he would readily be remembered is the exposure of deep-rooted expatriate quota system scam in the Internal Affairs Ministry. Though seriously threatened to drop the probe, Idahosa stubbornly insisted that he would get to the end of the matter, adding that at least 25,000 jobs would be recovered in the process while the conduit through which revenue flowed into private pockets would be plugged.

Married with five children, he holds a Bachelor of Law degree in Law from University of Benin. He equally brings to bear his background as a lawyer in his contributions during deliberations.

Idahosa was first elected into the House in 1999  under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party where he represents Ovia North-East/South West Federal Constituency.

Before rounding off his tenure, he would like to see "A reconstructed Nigeria founded on equitable legal framework.


AMINU BELLO MASARI
The Speaker of the House, is also from Katsina State and was born May 1950. A Peoples Democratic Party member representing Malumfashi/Kafur Federal Constituency, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 and is on his second term.

Masari is a water engineer who holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Water Engineering from Middlesex Polytechnic, London. He held several appointments in government of his state before venturing into politics.

As the Speaker, the House has witnessed a lot of calm that was a clear departure from the turbulence the House had between 1999 and 2003, arising from disagreements with President Olusegun Obasanjo. He has a slogan of not saying no and yet without compromising.

Operating from a standpoint of not being given a chance to succeed as Speaker, he explains that the peace which has existed between the Executive and the House so far accounts for the number of Bills passed in the first six months which dusted the number passed by the House between 1999 and 2003.

Even in the face of the seeming overbearing Executive influence on the House, Masari has managed to present a populist view and always has stayed against all odds on the side of the masses. Some issue where his intervention pitched him against the view of the Executive includes fuel price increases and the face off between Labour and the Executive.

Other areas include the transparency with which the account of the House is being managed which has seen to the reduction in personal allowances to himself as an example of what he intends to do with the House. He is said to run an all-inclusive regime.


CHUDI OFODILE
Noted for the way he went about trying to unravel circumstances surrounding the $181 million Halliburton bribery scandal by drawing all the dramatis personae to Abuja for questioning. Although he met with an initial brick wall in the refusal of those summoned to volunteer information, he promised to press on and even to change tactics.

He represents Awka North/South Federal Constituency, Anambra State and is married with three children. He was born November 1964 and holds a Degree in law as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from University of Nigeria.

He aims to achieve the "Increased Local Content in the Petroleum industry in Nigeria", which he hopes would usher in a better economy.
He is a Peoples Democratic Part member on whose platform he came to the House.  He spearheaded the Local content bill as well as the formation of the Armed Forces Service Commission Bill.


GABRIEL SUSWAM
He has been at the center of budget preparations in the House having been the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee since 2003. An erudite fellow with easy grasp of the technicalities, which attend to budgets, he also oversees the virements, which the government does.

A legal practitioner by profession, he graduated from University of Lagos. He is a Peoples Democratic Party member representing Katsina Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency. He was first elected into the House in 1999 before returning for the second time.

Suswam who had held the portfolios of Committee Chairman of House Services and Federal Capital Territory has rural development as his interest and hopes to put in place, "Legislation to improve Infrastructural Development" before he exits.

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