19/12/2019
PUBLIC SERVICE AND RENEWED EXPECTATIONS: I HAVE DONE IT BEFORE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO IT
A SPEECH BY PROF. STEVE SINIKIEM AZAIKI, OON, AT THE CULTURAL SENSITIZATION PROGRAMME FOR YOUTHS, ORGANIZED BY THE NATIONAL INTSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL ORIENTATION (NICO), IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE LAWMAKER, YELGA/KOLGA FEDERAL CONSTITUTUENCY, HELD ON 19TH DECEMBER, 2019, AT CITY HALL, YELGA COUNCIL SECRETARIATE, YENAGOA
PROTOCOL
This memorable event is another fulfilment of the onerous obligation to deliver on my electioneering promises anchored on the philosophy of â⌠a mandate of trust, not to be betrayedâ.
As aptly captured in the title of this speech, I would like to use this auspicious moment to speak pensively on my personal and official disposition to serve the public, especially my constituents. I would also talk about what we have done so far and the mounting expectations from my people, then solicit for your support for realization of the common good that we are all saddled with.
Let me first of all, assure you that the pursuit of the common good is on course. I have done it before. I have been doing it. And I will continue to render selfless services to humanity. Whether one is appreciated or not, the Almighty God sees and knows it all.
In line with this personal philosophy of mine, and given the present political-social contract, I have since after election as your Representative, reinforced my commitment to make more contributions towards the advancement of our constituency, state, region and country.
I have lived a quiet life, despite my being in public glare. I detest proclaiming the little gestures that I have done to individuals and groups. This is because, for me, the purpose of the personal benevolence was not anything political, except to fulfill Godâs injunction that we should be our brotherâs keeper.
However, one has observed that in elected position, it is a different ball game. Pungent utterances from people, must compel one to clear misperceptions about onesâ personality, private and public affairs. Thus, it behoves me to speak a little on my contributions to the progress of society. But I will do so contrary to my principle of not indulging in self adulation.
The evidence of my modest contributions to society are manifested in the deeds of the Azaiki Foundation. The Foundation is the platform through which I have been giving back to society, what God has endowed me. The Azaiki Foundation, over the years, has done a lot to the needy. It has been spending millions of Naira annually, on social welfare programmes.
May I at this point enumerate some of the contributions I have made to national, state and community development. At the national level, such contributions include resolution of Finima-NLNG crisis at the start of the project; initiation of the National Directorate of Employmentâs skills acquisition schemes for youths in Bonny and Rivers State; input into creation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); input into creation of Niger Delta Ministry and Ministry of Environment through WEMFA and National Think Thank for Nigeria; and recently submission of recommendations on restructuring and resource control at the 2014 National Conference as well as resolution of the Niger Delta crises through the suggestions by the National Think Tank.
At the state front, I was part of the struggles for the creation of Bayelsa; made valuable inputs into policies and programmes such as development appeal fund , which I was instrumental to bringing the then chairman of Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF), President Mohammadu Buhari as chairman of the occasion, that helped to kick start the state soon after its creation in October 6, 1996, the proceeds of which were also used to construct a major road in Yenagoa City. As secretary to government, I contributed to and coordinated ex*****on of major policies and public projects and community development programmes; classification of chieftaincy stools and the establishment of NDU; creation of 24 local government areas; award of foreign scholarships to over 1000 Bayelsans during Chief Alamieyesigha administration and facilitation of political appointments; employments to many Bayelsans at the state and national levels; facilitation of admission for foreign scholarship awardees in Governor Seriake Dicksonâs era, among others.
In my private calling, I have contributed to the development of Christian and educational institutions as well as awarded personal scholarships to students; free health and housing support to the needy within and outside my community, besides providing and facilitating employment and political appointments for several persons in public and private organisations.
The Azaiki Foundation provides public library and cultural museum services, free agricultural and environmental management services; languages training centre as well as science and technology institute for promotion of research and knowledge-based economy. A project dreamt of in 1992, the Azaiki Library was fully established and commissioned by former President Goodluck Jonathan and other dignitaries in 2015. It has since served as a trail blazer in the promotion of reading and knowledge dissemination.
The library and museum have continued to attract encomiums from the low and high, within and outside Nigeria. For instance, the National Librarian and Chairman of the National Library Board, Abuja, Prof. L. O Aaina has this to say:
âI was thrilled by the provision of the library and its service. Indeed, the library stands as the best I have seen in our country. It is a gift to our country and I am proud to be associated with this great effort. I am also particularly delighted for the honour done to me to have my photograph as a thing of essence to qualify for inclusion in the autographs section of the library (unveiled by me) among the eminent personalities of the time. In addition, I am further fuelled by the incredible warmth of your reception and generosity⌠May God forever bless your loving and generous heartâ.
For the late leader and sage, my national father, late Alhaji Shehu Shagari, my modest quota to service of the nation and mankind are invaluable. Hear him in a foreword to my book, Thoughts On Nigeria:
â[Aaziki] is patrioticâŚI see a man of highest standard â patriotic and selfless in his dedication to service; a man exhibiting a high sense of hope amongst enormous challenges⌠We need more people of like minds in public sphereâŚ, particularly the younger generation⌠I have great hope in Prof. Azaiki. His achievements and contributions are even yet to come, they will be properly recorded in the history of our nation.
âŚThe world class library facilities and its contribution to education and knowledge âŚ, the Niger Delta Museum ... speak volume of a man who is truly ahead of his time. His lifeâs example speaks to the reward of value-added service in public space. Azaiki has given so much to our country [but] expecting nothing in returnâ, Shagiri noted.
Despite the achievements and the commendations, I am however not puffed, neither is the Azaiki Foundation and its supporters. Every day, I realize that, it is not yet Uhuru because the problems of society are increasing. It is in that regard that God perhaps led me into elective politics, so as to do more to the needy. And that will be done through my present positon as a member of parliament, besides personal efforts.
Thus, I am poised to use the opportunity of being in the House of Representatives, to lobby for the creation of balance in political structures and promote economic and environmental justice; management of the devastated environment of the Niger Delta and pressing for major federal infrastructures. I must remain committed to empowerment of the people through skills acquisition and small businesses. I am set to agitate for more recognition for traditional rulers; and promotion of cultural values; peace and unity, among others.
These, would be achieved and are being achieved through the ideas in my books, outcome of my academic and practical research reports, conference resolutions; wide and regular contacts with my national and international networks, input from you, my constituents; collaboration with other lawmakers, the presidency, ministers, the state government, Yelga and Kolga Councils, oil companies and donor agencies.
It is crystal clear to me, that your voting massively for me on February 23, 2019, was to enable you benefit from effective representation meant to enhance good governance.
In that light, and haven highlighted some of my general contributions earlier, permit me to also state some of the recent reach-out programmes done before and after my assuming office at the Reps. They include award of scholarships; payment of WAEC and NECO fees to deserving indigent students of the constituency; organization of local and international conferences to project and proffer solutions to the problems of the people; sponsored some constituents to such conferences as well as attended to invitations from clans, social groups and individuals, for festive events in the constituency, to which I also made modest financial contributions.
Within the short period in office, I have also provided school fees; accommodation and medical support to needy constituents. These are in addition to recommending some constituents for foreign scholarships, federal and state employments and political appointments in the state, just as efforts are on to recommend our people for contract awards.
Just last week, December 13, 2019, my office donated musical band sets to 10 beneficiaries, six churches and four secular musical groups. This project was inherited from my predecessor, Senator Douye Diri who patriotically handed it to me for completion.
Today, the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) is executing a cultural awareness and empowement programme for youths in our constituency, in partnership with my office. I thank NICO for this programme and call on it to do more for Bayelsa State.
As you may be aware, the 9th National Assembly has not been given any funds for constituency projects. So as a fresh Rep, no new projects and funds have been allocated to our constituency as we speak. This is also because we were inaugurated mid-year in which the current 2019 budget has been operational. So new members had no opportunity to influence inclusion of new projects for constituencies. It is my hope that the 2020 budget would afford us better opportunities.
Bear in mind too, that constituency projects and allocation of funds for same is not directly borne by a legislator but by relevant MDAs. The legislator only lobbies for inclusion of vital projects for a constituency, recommends contractors and monitors implementation as part of oversight functions.
Right from the fateful day you graciously found me worthy to represent you at the Federal House of Representatives, I have been conscious of the responsibilities that lie before me. And I am still aware of that onus, till today. I am equally in the know that the expectations from all and sundry, are legion.
The magnitude of human and infrastructural underdevelopment, no doubt is mainly responsible for the heightened expectations from the numerous impoverished and deprived members of our constituency and many other Bayelsans. This is often apportioned on the perverted federal system and the multinational oil companies that join centripetal forces to expropriate us of our God-given wealth, even though, we local leaders are sincerely also not to be left un-quizzed.
This is because we may not have really done enough to tackle the real fundamental problems of major infrastructure and impoverishment. We may have not done enough in these regards through lobbying to change the lopsided federal structures and laws that deprive us of our mineral resources. We may have also not done too much, even in tackling the major problems at our own level as leaders in our domains. Like it or not, it is the stark reality. But my apologies to anyone whose sensibilities feel offended by these utterances.
On my part, it is plausible that the desires of our people to get so much from the mandate entrusted on me and the office I presently occupy is also related to the estimation of my place in society. It is similarly related to my unalloyed commitment to serve the public, a trait and philosophy I shall never abandon in any circumstance.
To me, relinquishing such personal values could amount to offending the Almighty God Whose command to us is that, we should always serve mankind and society selflessly.
To this end, I like to restate my irrevocable dedication to service of mankind. But in delivering the expected services, you owe me just one thing. It is support. Patriotic and selfless support is all I need from you, not even encomiums to flatter and blow my head off with false contentment.
Let us try to live by the charge of John F. Kennedy, former president of America who once said that citizens should not only think of what the country would do for them, but what they could also do for the country. This is similar to what popular French Philosopher, Michel Foucault conceptualized as âgovernmentalityâ. Popularized by another French sociologist, Emile Durkheim, âgovernmentality,â strikes a balance between what government should do for the people and what the people should do for themselves and for government.
As a deviation however, this concept only means, âentitlementâ, not civic obligations any more. Thus, entitlement mentality is so much in vogue in our society, to the extent that it has reduced peoplesâ interest in performing their civic duties for the progress of society. One is not saying that people are not entitled to certain rights and privileges. But that, such expectations ought to go with service on the part of every one of us.
Therefore, in rhetorical terms, let me ask â What have you done for humanity and society? What could you do from your talent and other resources? Have you ever done anything? Let us ponder over these questions every day and rise up to service.
For me, I have done it before! And I will continue to do it!! Only history will judge me as Late Shehu Shagiri has predicted.
I thank you, my beloved constituents, for listening and for reassuring me of your useful support to the common course. May God bless you all in Jesus name!
PROF. STEVE SINKIEM AZAIKI, OON
HON. MEMBER, FED. HOUSE OF REPS
