The Anambra State House of Assembly which commenced its legislative business in an uncompleted building at Enugwu- Ukwu civic centre, in Njikoka local government Area of Anambra State, was inaugurated on the 17th January 1992, by the former Governor of Anambra state; Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Okwadike. The then uncompleted Enugwu-Ukwu civic centre was freely donated by Enugwu-Ukwu people to the House to be use temporary for their legislative business.
The democratic experiment was military supervised and short-lived and therefore collapsed upon the military disruption which truncated the democratic experiment. Fast forward to 1999, the House has its own building and then moved to its permanent site and was inaugurated by Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, on 9th June 1999. Here, the staggering journey of Anambra State House of Assembly began.
From 1999, members of the House of Assembly have no office at the complex. Out of the 30 members of the House of Assembly, only the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker has an office. So members come to work and stay in their cars or hang around till the sitting bell rings and they gather at the plenary and once they are done with the business of the day, they are off. This continued till around 2017 when the new office complex of the Assembly, was commissioned, even though inadequate and unsuitable for long term purposes considering that it is just a single room office, the House of Assembly still suffers major infrastructural deficit.
It is now exactly 21 years after the Assembly moved to its permanent site, yet, the Anambra State legislative complex remains far more underdeveloped, even as it looks almost abandoned. There is no adequate infrastructure; the environment is terribly unkempt, while weed grows and overgrow the flowerbeds, as well as dot every section of the complex, with a thriving mini forest behind the main legislative building, within the compound. People are often shocked at how shabby and scruffy, the complex is, when they visit for the first time.
Essentially, Anambra State House of Assembly has not made significant progress in infrastructure, since its first sitting in an uncompleted building at Enugwu-Ukwu. The door to the major entrance of the legislative chamber is bad to the point that it is being supported with a piece of stone. Even members of the Assembly, the Governor and all visitors pass through this door.
Shockingly; the door is still bad and still supported with the piece of stone to remain open for visitors and workers passing through to enter the complex. The entire building is grubby, with dirty floor, as cobwebs litter and hung from the ceiling like burden mosquito nets over unprotected occupants.
The lobby looks deserted with torn chairs, dusty and grimy. A visitor walks through a bad door being supported with a piece of stone and then steps into a dusty lobby. This is a legislative complex of 21st century, and no basic infrastructure or even simple greenery and clean ambiance that should characterize the hallowed Institution of legislature, in a first-class state like Anambra state.
It is not surprising that Anambra State House of Assembly do not have a website. Website is the most common feature of any contemporary institution. No serious government or non-governmental organization, much less a cardinal institution of government, functions in today’s world without an official website. Perhaps, except Anambra State House of Assembly.
The most horrific fact is that, it is as if the quality of legislative arguments keeps depreciating as the years pass by. For instance, the current Anambra State House of Assembly; the 7th Assembly, was inaugurated on June 13th, 2019, by Governor Willie Obiano. Ever since, the performance rate has been all time low. In fact, in the past nine months, the Assembly has only been able to pass a total of six bills, and all six bills are executive bills.
A senior staff of the Assembly who spoke on condition of anonymity observed that “it is too early to say that the 7th Assembly has failed, but so far, the Assembly is not encouraging, and the quality of their argument is frail”. He even went further to note that “some Assembly members do come around and try to contribute but however, there are some who are not even sure of the road to Anambra state House of Assembly complex”.
Another civil servant in the legislature decried the situation where the House of Assembly Service Commission Bill, passed during the life span of the last Assembly, has not been assented to, by the governor. It is not clear why the governor has not assented to the bill, however, once assented to, Anambra State House of Assembly will be independent of the Executive arm especially in terms of funding, which will strengthen the institution itself and members of the legislature, to carry out their duties without vacillation, in a bid to please the executive arm and the governor to be precise.
Nonetheless, with a young speaker and deputy in their early 40s and late 30s respectively, it is surprising how the House of Assembly has not yet moved towards becoming a modern institution, almost one year after.
For a few days now, Anambra state House of Assembly has been the most object of ridicule throughout social media over a bill it passed sometime last year during the lifespan of the 6th Assembly, to regulate burial expenses in the state. Critiques are having a field day over this issue and Anambra is being seriously ridiculed. Yet, not even a single response by the Assembly as expected of a modern institution in a democracy. The fact is that the Assembly lacks the structures through which to robustly address public concerns and defend the particular bill or interact with the people. So, it is not entirely surprising that till now, not a single word from Anambra State House of Assembly on this controversial bill.
Well, not many honourable members of the House of Assembly are happy with the development in the House. For almost one year, they are yet to get their official vehicles. Some are also alleging that they are owed allowances and other entitlements, an allegation the executive arm always refutes.
Of course, there is no official residence for members of the House, but there is Commissioners Quarters for Anambra state commissioners, so some members still come from their villages to office, on Tuesdays and Thursdays which are the sitting days, except on special occasions or emergency situation that requires urgent attention. Apparently, the members are de-motivated from performing their duties. The work environment is below the expectation of many of them. Perhaps, they are some group of unserious legislators, an appendage of the executive arm, even.
As the Assembly nears one year in office with not a single bill by its member having been passed, it is indeed below average. So far, here are some of the Executive Bills passed by the House;
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- Anambra State Leisure Park and Street Beautification Agency, passed on March 10, 2020.
- Anambra State Information and Communication Technology Bill 2019, passed on 17th September 2019
- Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Amendment Bill 2019. Passed on 10th December 2019.
- Public Finance Bill 2019 passed on 3rd March 2020.
- Anambra State Agency for Erosion, Watershed and Climate Change Bill. Passed on 8th February 2020
- Anambra State Clear Drainage and Forest Reservation Agency passed on 13th February 2020.
All these bills are executive bills and the 7th Assembly has only roughly about maximum of two months before it clocks one year and it has so far passed six bills all of which are executive bills, although the Assembly currently has nine bills that are outstanding. However, the trend clearly shows that the 7th Assembly is not any different from ordinary appointees of the executive arm of government, considering that it gives all its attention to serving the executive’s interest.
With these developments, it is almost certain that unless the 7th Assembly very quickly departs from the prevailing lackluster attitude, the Anambra State House of Assembly will continue to welter in its current infrastructural deficit, environmental decay and near total absence of any characteristic of a modern government institution that has become unashamedly embedded, in the institution.
Most certainty, if the Assembly cannot move itself forward, what else can it possibly move forward?
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
