For Hon. Lugard Osuji, Majority Leader, Imo State House of Assembly, these may not be the best of times in carrying out his duties as the leader of the 7th Imo State House of Assembly.
Despite his commitment to the stability of the House and ensuring Executive/legislative harmony which his duty as Majority Leader entails, he appears to be the most misunderstood lawmaker in the ongoing “rift” between the Governor and the House members over the botched 2018 budget.
Since Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State failed to present the 2018 Budget to the House last Tuesday, the media has been awash with tales of a rift between the Governor and the House Members.
The lawmakers are demanding for a fair deal from the Governor which include their entitlements, their Constituency votes and an account of the Bail out funds. More drama had ensued in the imbroglio when the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru was suspended. His suspension was approved by not more than 24 members of the House.
Lugard Osuji was reported to have moved the motion for the suspension of the Clerk on the floor of the House. This he did based on the strength of support of his colleagues and as his duty as Majority Leader of the House.
Unfortunately,he has been misunderstood to be the one stoking the fire in the imaginary feud between the House and the Executives.
This is far from the truth as his functions as Majority Leader entails synergizing between the House members and the Executives. This is his responsibility as Majority Leader which is the norm in all legislative Houses. Those who tend to put the ongoing feud between the House Members and the Executives on the doorstep of the Majority leader seem to be either oblivious or ignorant of the intricacies involved in legislative/Executive relationship or rather choose to be mischievous. They are simply turning the truth and facts upside down or deliberately tarnishing the image of Hon. Osuji for reasons that are not tenable.
If members of the House of Assembly decide to take on headlong the Governor to do the needful by persuading him to live up to his social contract with Imo people, it is their collective resolve and not the sole prerogative of the Majority Leader or any other member of the House of Assembly.
A case- study of legislative collective responsibility manifested in the suspension of the Clerk of the House, Chris Duru. His suspension was the collective decision of the House members as endorsed by more than 20 members and not by a particular lawmaker.
For those who seem not to understand the dynamics of legislative inter play, it is the duty of the Majority Leader of any legislative Assembly to interface between the legislature and the Executive. This is why any Majority Leader of a responsive parliamentary House is always at the front burner of issues between the legislature and the Executives.
This is the ordeal of Hon. Osuji, who represents Owerri Municipal State constituency. Confronted with a situation where his colleagues have decided to seek for a better deal for the people, Hon. Osuji and his colleagues deserve a tap on the back for choosing to compel the Executives to fulfil the social contract between the people and the present administration.
Therefore, the ongoing executive/ legislative is not a rift but rather an indication of a rejuvenated House that has woken up from slumber and desirous to make out the best from their representation of millions of Imo people.
