In Africa, Nigeria and the Idoma of Benue State, North-central Nigeria, names and chieftaincy titles reflect the total personality of an individual as he or she is bound to depict what such identities stand connote.
This has been proved by the member, representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Dr Philip Agbese who bears the chieftaincy of ‘Okanga’ in his first in the hallowed Green Chamber of Nigeria’s parliament.
Okanga in Idoma language means drum and drum is synonymous with speaking for hence the idiom -drum support denoting lobby, push, advocate, promote, so on and so forth.
Ever since coming to the House of Representatives, Agbese armed with degrees in law and experience in civil society has been doing all that Okanga implies, having sponsored many bills, motions and performed other legislative functions of oversight and representation excellently well even more than ranking members of the House.
No doubt, hence, Res ipsa loquitur, the Latin expression for: “a thing speaks for itself,” Speaker Abbas Tajudeen spotted Hon. Agbese spotted Agbese out of many new lawmakers and made him the Deputy Spokesperson of the House.
Also, hence reward for hard work is more work, Speaker Abbas recently appointed him, Chairman, Nigeria-Finland Parliamentary Friendship Group shortly after he was inaugurated as a member of the Pan African Parliament.
Agbese is the “darling of journalists” for interviews and reactions to issues and events in the House of Representatives and National Assembly generally. Whenever journalists reach out to him to react to issues, he’s always available.
He has sponsored several key bills such as Bill seeking to establish a Federal University of Agriculture, Ute Okpu, Delta State, Thursday, passed its first reading in the House of Representatives.
The bill seeks to create a federal institution dedicated wholly to agriculture with a tripodal mandate of Teaching, Research, and Extension Services in the Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
Speaking to newsmen, Agbese noted that the proposed institution will be a centre for education and research, adding that it’ll aid in environmental assessment.
Another bill is Non-Oil Mineral Resources Producing Communities Development Commission (Establishment) Bill. Some of his motions include, motion on Otukpo robbery, and the protection of Niger Delta habitats. One of his notable motion seeking probe of crude oil theft and loss of revenue accruals from the oil and gas sector in the country was named in the top 10 so far in the 10th House of Representatives. The motion was picked and categorised by National Assembly’s Order Paper Magazine.
While giving an insight into its selection process, the Magazine said: “Between inauguration day and December 21, 2023, the House considered about 500 motions, some of which produced resolutions which mandated investigations by standing or special ad-hoc committees. Consequently, some of the investigations undertaken during this period include job racketeering in public service, non-remittances of deductions from workers’ salaries for the National Housing Fund (NHF), abuse of tax waivers by both public and private organisations, and a host of others.”
On the choice of Agbese’s motion, it added: “The House in July set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate crude oil theft and loss of revenue from gas chaired by Rep. Kabiru Rurum (NNPP, Kano) with a mandate which included exposing any person or groups of persons behind the massive scale of oil heist in the country. Although this committee is one of those that met behind closed doors all through its sittings, it has managed to submit a report which is yet to be considered. Nigerians are eagerly waiting for action from the House.”
Okanga has lived up to his name in reps within one year, his constituents and Nigerians are anticipating more positive impacts from him and he will definitely not disappoint!!!!
Orizu, writes from Abuja
