Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has used developmental projects to break an all-time record in electoral contest in last Saturday’s House of Assembly election. APC won all the 24 available seats in the Assembly as candidates of the APC defeated all Peoples Democratic Party candidates from the results announced by INEC Returning Officers at various collation centres. The result of the House of Assembly election was different from the February 23rd presidential and National Assembly election in which the PDP won with a margin of over 7000 votes. Governor Obaseki has used developmental projects to turn Edo State House of Assembly to one party controlled legislature.

Edo Central that used to be a bastion of the PDP, the APC won all the six available seats in the senatorial districts. Candidates of the APC that emerged are Chris Okaeben (Oredo West), Crosby Eribo (Egor) Henry Okhuarobo (Ikpoba-Okha) Roland Asoro (Orhionmwon West) Nosayaba Okunbor (Orhionmwon East) Osaro Obazee (Oredo East) Washington Osifo (Uhunmwode) Ugiagbe Dumez (Ovia North East 1) Vincent Uwadiae ( Ovia North East 11) Sunday Aghedo (Ovia South West) Francis Okiye (Esan North East 1) Emmanuel Okoduwa (Esan North East 11) Victor Edoror (Esan Central) Sunday Ojiezele (Esan South East) Marcus Onobun (Esan West) Ephraim Aluebhosele (Igueben) Ganiyu Audu (Estako West 1) and Aliyu Oshiomhole (Estako West 11).

Obaseki has said he will continue to put the interest of ordinary Edo people first. Obaseki has.thanked the Edo electorate for voting massively for APC in EDHA election. Obaseki is happy that no life was lost in Edo. Basking in the euphoria of the massive votes for candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Assembly election, on Saturday March 9, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has declared that he will continue to put the interest of ordinary Edo people first in the development of the state.

The governor noted that it is God that gives power through the people and that is why he has chosen to serve the ordinary people, even if he is going to be governor for one day. He declared that the people will remain his priority despite the fact that some people want him to do otherwise. “Many people are not happy with me but I don’t care because if you, the ordinary people are with me, they cannot do me anything. It is you, the people that matter. It is you that will keep me in power. When God decides to keep me in power, it is you that will make it possible, even if it is one day I have left to spend in office, I will use it to serve you because governance is about the people,” he said.
Obaseki explained that the Edo State House of Assembly election has shown that Edo electorates are appreciative of the effort his administration has made to make life better for them. He promised to improve on the lives and standards of living of Edo people and added that he will be more focused now to develop the state further and make life better for them especially the youths. “The youths are the future of this nation and as a government, the bulk of our resources must go to the young people. The youth have the energy, they have the intellect, all they need is direction to succeed and this government is ready to give that direction,” he pledged.

He noted that his administration is not about building roads alone but also focused on affecting lives through empowerment programmes for the citizens, particularly women.
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has itemised the benefits of having an All Progressives Congress-controlled State House of Assembly to include a rancour-free relationship between the legislature and the executive arms of government which would enhance the ease of governing. The governor further said, “We were able to nip the unwholesome activities of Community Development Associations (CDAs) in the bud, through a piece of legislation that received expedited action from members of the Edo State House of Assembly. “We have raised the tempo of our fight against human trafficking in the state because we have the enabling laws and other forms of support from the legislature and we need to sustain the positive strides.”

“Today, millions of Edo people are witnesses to our achievements as a government, occasioned largely by a supportive House of Assembly, made up of very focused and patriotic people who genuinely seek the development of our dear state.” He added that the Edo House of Assembly has no space for rabble rousers, ill-prepared individuals, whose only interest is to cause disaffection for pecuniary motive
In a sense, a parliament is indeed the stabilising rod of democracy – that is the traditional function of the parliament. At no time should the parliament be subjected to indignity while performing its duties. In a generic way, the parliament, in the true sense, is not a rubber stamp.

The concept of rubber stamp in legislative-executive relationship is a negative one. I want to think that a lawmaker, who thinks that a state House of Assembly can be a rubber stamp for development, is just being sarcastic by trying to justify why they (lawmakers) will always endorse executive actions. But the entire idea of the separation of powers is to ensure that no one arm of government exercises power to the detriment of the society because like Lord Acton said, power corrupts and absolutely power corrupts absolutely.

Where an executive arm of government is left uncontrollably in the exercise of state functions, then you are likely to have a government that is run on anarchy and totalitarianism; that is not good for a democratic society. While I am not an advocate of constant legislative-executive friction, it is not all disagreements between the legislature and executive arms of government that amount to unnecessary frictions or can be regarded as frictions.
Those disagreements are necessary in order to get the best out in a particular governance policy directive or issue. So, it is not possible for the two arms not to collaborate. The responsibility of the legislature is to constantly be a watchdog on behalf of the citizens so that the executive does not, in the exercise of its executive powers, overstep its bounds as to injure the people it is supposed to govern.

It will be the first time in 20 years that only one state, Edo will have a one party legislature. That emerging political dynamic has potentially serious policy implications. Without a divided government, this single-party state house is in a position to enact legislation at a time for free operation of government. The legislative powers of a State of the Federation shall be vested in the House of Assembly of the State. (7) The House of Assembly of a State shall have power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof with respect to the following matters, that is to say: (a) any matter not included in the Exclusive Legislative List set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to this Constitution. (b) any matter included in the Concurrent Legislative List set out in the first column of Part II of the Second Schedule to this Constitution to the extent prescribed in the second column opposite thereto; and (c) any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.”

The effect of the above is that the respective levels of government are empowered to legislate on a broad range of issues that if effectively utilized through quality legislation and diligent exercise of the legislative oversight functions, will translate into good governance.

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Inwalomhe Donald writes from Benin City