ASABA/Nigeria: Majority leader and member representing Isoko North Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Tim Owhefere, has advised contenders in the 2019 elections to channel their energies in areas where they have comparative advantage because legislation is not an all comers affair.
While giving the charge in an interview with The Pointer, the legislator said that “the business of lawmaking is done more appropriately by someone who has a very good knowledge of the law, adding that although people have the right to aspire, the legislature is distinguished by its intellectual demands and it is not an “All comers affair”.
” This is an intellectual institution where you need to read, you need to write, you need to present issues, you need to have facts, you need to read beyond the Nigerian constitution and marry it side by side with the constitution of other democracies of other world. For Christ sake, you have to be learned to do it and not just come and sit down for four years without doing anything” he said.
The lawmaker charged contenders to the State House of Assembly to desist from entertaining any aspiration of running for the mere fun of it, stressing that they should channel their energies towards other ventures bereft of expertise to better the lot of the people or applaud those who are already doing a good job because they lack the much required experience.
Declaring his re-election bid, Hon Owhefere said “you can imagine as compared to a new member, what I can get done in seconds it takes him months because he is yet to know. That is the simple truth. For those of us who have the urge to serve and better the lives of our people who are poor, we need to speak for them and ensure that they are part of the government of the day, they need people like us and that is the reason why I am seeking re-election”
Hon. Owhefere said “You don’t just change a team that is winning for the sake of it. Maybe you want to aspire, you could wait for your time or maybe you should applaud the person doing a good job. We should go beyond that in this country so that our democracy can grow”
“We should understand that while everybody is qualified to hold various positions, people should be able to know areas where they have comparative advantage. It will be wrong for me now to aspire to do something that I know that only a medical doctor will do better.
He said that beyond the glamour associated with being a Lawmaker, the job of lawmaking is very tedious and challenging, even as he said that as tasking as it is, the love for the people would not permit quittance as it would be a failure but the tenacity to hold on and move forward would mean being heroic.
“Sometimes I think this is an ego job but I can tell you that this is one of the worst jobs that you can ever do because you are constantly under pressure to serve. I know every politician, especially every legislator can attest to it, you are constantly under pressure to serve and it takes the grace of God to survive the stress.
But we are in it already and pulling out of it is accepting defeat and moving forward is being heroic, so that is why we are not leaving’’, he said.
