Easy-going, intelligent and outspoken Honourable Danjuma Friday Sani is a member representing Igalamela Odolu Constituency in Kogi State House of Assembly. He is also the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts. Speaking with Zainab Tanimu of Top Celebrities’ Magazine, Hon. Sani talked on the nitty-gritty of being a lawmaker. Being a law maker he points out does not make one an antagonist of his executive counterpart. What should matter is working towards achieving the dreams and aspirations of the people they serve. As such, the need to build a cordial working relationship with executive but not at the expense of the people they represent. A progressive minded mind he said is he who identifies with what is right and what is good. For him, he has been serving in the chairmanship of public account capacity and is very close to the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Idris Wada even though in recent times he has issued two warrants of arrest against two commissioners in the same government. This and other issues he tries to unfold.

Excerpts:

How would you describe the act of law making?

I will talk based on my opinion. Law making to me is a difficult task but it is also very important in democracy and I think so far so good the journey is not an easy type. It is a particular process where you have to dedicate your time and all your energy to study the rule of the House. You need enough time to be able to understand the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I would say it has not been an easy one. I would say, so far so good for journey of a million miles has to start from somewhere. As it relates to the governance of our country, I think for now, the journey is not a bad one.

Recently, it was in the news that there was a controversy between your constituency and the State House of Assembly. Can you tell us what exactly transpired?

Well, I don’t think there is any controversy between my constituency and the state assembly. There is no way my constituency can have a problem with the state House of Assembly with the level of quality representation I have given to the people of my local constituency because I have a channel and a well monitored one that is still operational. I have a very good working relationship with my people. I have not lost the appreciation of my people in any way. The people still believe in me, so there is no way there can be differences between my constituency and the state House of assembly. Since I came into the state house of assembly, there has been a good rapport between my constituency and the state house of assembly. When I had issues with the state house of assembly was when the former speaker was not too comfortable with my contributions on the floor of the house. Each time I speak, he looks at me as a radical and as such not comfortable giving me opportunity to speak on the floor of the house. There was a time I raised issue on the floor of the house, pointing out that the law establishing my constituency and that establishing Igalamela Odolu had made it possible for me to represent them and has not been abrogated. Therefore, the right for me to speak on the floor of the house cannot be deprived of me. I raised those issues with the former speaker of the house of assembly, but that has since been over. Since the removal of the former speaker, I no longer have that issue, because the current speaker is a member of the state progressive integrity group of which I am the chairman. There is no such problem anymore between me, my constituency and the state house of assembly.

Invariably, are you saying that the tussle between you and the speaker and the integrity group was instrumental to his removal?

It is part of it. Because a situation where a particular member is deprived of his right not to make contributions on the floor of the house is even an impeachable offence, because the law establishing constituency is there and until it is abrogated, it is an offence to stop any member of the state house of assembly from contributing on the floor of the house. This was what some of us experienced. Maybe because we were observed as radicals and we deal with issues based on merit. So we are deprived of opportunity on the floor of the state house of assembly. It was part of the problem that led to his removal. There is no doubt about that,

With the way things are unfolding in the ongoing National Conference, do you think the outcome will be acceptable by the National Assembly? If yes, why?  

If the discussion has to do with national interest, the national assembly will have no alternative than to accept it. Even though I don’t have the mandate to speak on behalf of the national assembly, but as my senior colleagues, I also believe that as a law maker, if it is a particular position of the people that shall protect all interest, definitely, the assembly is not an island. It is not a self-imposed assembly. You have no alternative than to be responsive to the people as such shall definitely be accepted. But if it is a position that does not represent the interest of all, then there is going to be problem.

One contentious issue at the National Conference is the recommendation for the scrapping of local government, what is the stand of the Kogi State House of Assembly on this?

Let me not preempt the position of the National Confab; for every amendment of the constitution, the process is that it must go through not only referendum but a situation where state assemblies will pass their votes in support or against. It is yet to come to level, but I don’t think that is a very viable opinion or position. I don’t think it is a better alternative at this time of our nascent democracy. Scrapping of local government administration, which is the last hope of an ordinary man is not a better thing to suggest. I think it will have been a better thing to think of a reformation of the local government system other than asking for scrapping. This is why I am talking about interest of people concerned in a particular discussion, although in democracy, discussion is allowed, but the discussion must have to do with the interest of the people. If the interest of the people is not properly protected, there is bound to be problem. Just like I said before, for the national confab to propose scrapping of local government, to me and to the people of my constituency, I don’t think we will honestly support that particular proposal.

Today, lawmakers are perceived to be rubber stamp of the executives and the progressive class look at it as a failure particularly that they are always in alliance with the executives?

We have to look at what is called progressive. It is unfortunate that what we are using now to communicate belongs to another man. If you look at it critically, you discover that what people term to be progressive may not be the meaning of progressive. I don’t see anything wrong for lawmakers to align with the executive if the executive is doing well. If for example, the state governor accepts to construct a road for my person which is the major cry of my people, what is wrong in that? Until the present governor came into power, my people had problem of accessing portable water. Because of this, community development agency, rated my community as the poorest before I was elected into the house. I confronted the governor, he asked me to get facts and figures, why my local government is rated the poorest. It was discovered that it was because my people cannot access portable water. So the governor declared portable water in all my community in my local government. Major communities in my local government now have portable water. In this case, will you say it is not progressive to identify with the governor and appreciate him? Or thank him? I don’t know what people mean by progressive. To me, a progressive minded man is he who identifies with what is right and what is good. But if it goes the other way, then it is no longer progressive.

Issue of separation of powers, where the legislature and executive arm of government should be independent. Are you not missing it on the progressive issues?

Far from it. It is clear, law-making itself has to do with lobbying even with the same members of the assembly where we serve, we lobby members, no matter how good your motions are. You lobby your members for your motion to be accepted on the floor of the assembly, no matter how beautiful they may be. If you do not lobby your members, or talk to them on the motion you have to present, they will bring you down on the floor of the house. So it simply means the tradition of the house in law-making, has to do with lobbying. The principle of separation of powers is what we misconstrue. As a matter of fact, the law makers make the law while the executive executes it. These are two separate arms of government, except we have to suspend the current constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the powers or functions of the executive be transferred to the power of the legislature which I think is not possible. There is no way we can get it right than it is now. We are talking about full separation of powers. Autonomy of lawmakers does not mean that the National Assembly has a financial autonomy. Even at that, does the national assembly execute projects? The answer is no. They don’t; because it does not fall within their function. It is purely the functions of the executive. Let us be frank on these issues. The fact that we are law makers does not make you an antagonist of the executive. That is not true. What is supposed to be is simple principle of checks and balances. I have been serving on the chairmanship of public account and I am very close to the governor of Kogi State, but in recent times I issued two warrants of arrest against two commissioners in the same government. It is not until you go radical against the governor, or insult the governor, or insult Mr. President that makes it a separation of powers. When you do the right thing, to look at what the executive has done wrong, then that is the separation of powers we are talking about. Not a situation of rancor and acrimony or a particular political party, because they are on the opposition, inciting the law makers to go against the executive and you say it is separation of powers. It is very wrong.

Now on financial autonomy, checks and balances, your majority leader in Kogi State advocated for financial autonomy. Here you are talking differently, why?

The majority leader erred in both procedure and in law by his position. He also erred morally. I was reliably informed, while I was here, by him of several approvals by governor of Kogi State, of allowances, constituency funds. So for me to read on national dailies that the legislators in Kogi State are tired of begging the executive for money, I think he erred not just in law but morally. I think that is not correct, because I had telephone conversation with him, he told me of different approvals even without all of us impressing on him to give the approvals. So for him to say that; is another aberration. Financial autonomy or no financial autonomy is not the issue. I think the issue should be that what is entitled and what is due for law makers be granted to them. I am very sure that the majority leader of Kogi State house of assembly did not consult any other member of the state house of assembly before releasing that statement to the press, because I spoke with the speaker of the house on the issue and he told me same thing. This is not the first time he has issued this kind of statement to make it look as if it is the entire assembly that is speaking. I think it is not correct. Just like the National Assembly, they have financial autonomy but it does not include autonomy to execute projects and programmes, because up till now, the Senate President depends on Mr. President to approve projects. The senate president depends on the president, while the speaker of the House of Representatives depends on the president too to approve projects. In fairness to the governor of Kogi State, we do not have same issues in Kogi State. Even while I was here, my colleagues called to confirm that the governor on seeing the memo from the state house of assembly concerning our constituency funds expressly approved it for all members. So the issue of begging did not even arise. For him to have passed such a press statement that should pass through the state house of assembly, he did not. The assembly was on recess. The assembly was not in session, so most of my assembly members were not even aware of that report in the national dailies of Monday 30^th June 2014.

There is nothing to dispute about power shift. But we must understand that it has to do with a lot of political understanding. Democracy is a game of number. I was elected to the floor of Kogi State house of assembly with 59,000 votes which represents the votes from two to three local governments in the south senatorial district. Some part of the senatorial district like Ogori Magongo has a population of not less than 5,000, so if democracy is a game of number and we are talking about power rotation, it has to do with a political understanding. The people need to sit down, discuss it, and let there be that understanding and that agreement. But for one to stay on the media and discuss rotation or power shift, you will be getting it wrongly, because if you say power shift based on newspaper publication, you may go back home and discover that you do not have the population that determines who becomes a governor in a local government. That is why we err in so many things concerning power shift. Dekina is another example that produces in every election that is conducted in Kogi State.  A total vote of not less than 150,000 votes. That is enough for total votes from both west and central senatorial districts. In this case, if not a political understanding, will you not be making mistake to stay on the pages of newspapers to talk power shift. It will be a wrong agitation because democracy is a game of number. This is why the issue of power shift continues to surface in Kogi State on a daily basis.