Senator Uche Ekwunife series

Part 2: Why she may be indispensable at the red chambers now
By O’star Eze

As the clock ticks down to 0:00 hours of the February 25, 2023 elections, many electorates are still at loss as to whether it would be a good idea to still vote in the grassroots general, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife (IYOM) and the PDP for the Anambra Senatorial slot. This is given that this would be her third time at the senate, even though her first time was very brief, truncated after 5 months by an unfavourable court judgment. There is even a certain lady (name withdrawn) who has taken it upon herself on social media to continually cast all manner of aspersions on the person of Uche Ekwunife in an attempt to discredit her before other electorates in Anambra Central in favour of her principal. But ANN has taken time to understudy Uche Ekwunife as a legislator in order to lay bare the facts independent of any coercion or propaganda, with the hope that the objective electorate can make a properly informed decision come February 25, 2025.

It is quite unfortunate that in this era of social media, the level of misinformation has gained a mind staggering crescendo making it somewhat difficult for many electorate to discern the facts from fiction of warped imaginations. This, in the case of Iyom Ekwunife, stands out like a sore thumb given the strategic motions she is sponsoring at the red chambers which every right thinking adult should hold dear, albeit, the local government autonomy bill.

Records show that in the concluding 9th assembly of the Federal House of Senate, besides being the chairman of the senate committee on science, technology and innovation, Iyom Ekwunife is also a member of several other strategic committees like Public Procurement, Airforce, Upstream Petroleum, Public Account, Ethics and Privileges, Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions, Finance, Senate Services, Special Duties, Police Affairs, Youth and Sports Development, and committee on Women Affairs.

It is also on record that she won the award of the Best Honorable Member of the House of Representatives (2008) and has since she joined the 9th assembly of the Nigerian Senate been at the forefront of 29 bills and motions. They are Energy Commission of Nigeria (Amendment Act 2020), National Biosafety Management Agency Act (Amendment bill 2020), Nigeria Security and Defense Corps Act (Amendment bill 2020), Nigeria Investment Promotion Act (Amendment Bill 2020). There is also the Constitution Amendment Exclusive and Concurrent Legislative List (Amendment bill 2020), Nigeria Building and Road research Institute NBBRI establishment, An Act to Repeal and Reenact the Raw Materials Research Development Act Cap R3 2004 and to reenact the raw material and other related matters. There is the bill for an Act to provide the establishment of the Federal University of Food Science and Technology, Agulu and other related matters, a bill for an act to amend the provisions of the National Broadcasting Commission Act Cap N11, LFN 2004 to ease the approval process of Radio and Television Licenses, and allow for unimpeded legislation on this act and for other related matters. Other bills which impacts directly on her constituency are Federal College of Automobile Engineering , Obosi Establishment Bill 2020, Federal College of Commerce and Technical Skills, Abagana Establishment Bill 2020. There is also the Constitution Amendment of Federal Republic of Nigeria Amendment Bill 2020 Local Government Autonomy Bill 2020, University Bill, Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria centre for Disease Control and Prevention Act (2018) to make for the establishment of Quarantine Centre in all states of the federation and other related matters, a Bill for an Act to Amend the provisions of the Quarantine Act to include Covid 19 as “a dangerous infectious disease” within the meaning of the Act and for other related matters, a bill for an act to amend the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended) to move 19 items from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list to make for restructuring of governance and other related matters. The penal code act amendment bill (2019), Public procurement (amendment bill 2019), electoral act amendment bill 2019, National Office for technology Acquisition and Promotion Act (amendment bill 2019), A bill for an act to amend the provisions of the criminal code and provisions of the penal code, all made the list of Iyom’s bill. Then there is also the bill for an act to establish the national school feeding authority, for the purpose of providing nutrients fortified meals for pupils in primary school enrollment and related matters. The bill for an act to repeal Technology Business Institute Foundation Act to provide for the establishment of the National Agency for technology incubation and other related matters, a bill for an act to make for Made in Nigeria goods to have right of first choice in all government procurement and supplies and other related matters, a bill for an act to amend the provisions of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act Chapter N117 LFN 2004 to make provisions for protections of micro, small and medium enterprises from unfair competition and other related matters, NBRRI establishment bill, bill for the establishment of Federal Medical Centre, Umuawulu, bill for the establishment of Federal University of Science, Technology and Innovation, Agulu and finally, a bill for an act to establish the National Innovation Agency for the facilitation of development, improvements, promotion, coordination, exploitation, commercialization, and regulation of research outputs for related matters 2022.

The 15 motions she has sponsored within these four years of legislation at the red chambers include motion on digitization/ automation of collection and remittance of withholding tax on bank deposits and dividends payments for enhanced state government internally generated revenue (IGR), fire outbreak at motor spare parts market, Ugwuabo Layout, Obosi in Idemili North Local Government and Loretto Special Science School, Adazi nnukwu, Aniocha Local Government Area, both in Anambra State; motion on need to complete the abandoned greater Awka water scheme by Federal Ministry of Water Resources; motion on dangerous security and health lapses at Idu railway Terminal, Abuja; motion on gender disparity in governance, the way forward for Nigeria; motion on prisons, the need to upgrade, decongest, and disinfect correctional centres nationwide; motion for federal government to invest and increase fund for ministry of science and technology; motion on the present status of the fifth generation network (5 G network) in Nigeria; motion on the need to prioritise small and medium enterprises in the federal government’s Covid 19 interventions; motion on the very urgent need to undertake maintenance repairs of federal highways in various parts of the country before the rainy season fully sets in; motion on the need to immortalize Late Igwe Nwokedi of Achalla for his many accomplishments and versatility in both the public and private sectors; motion of urgent public importance: the fire disaster that happened at motor spare parts market, Nkpor on 26th April, 2021; motion of urgent national importance on the fire disasters that occurred in Amawbia, Awka South LGA and Akwukwu, Idemili South LGA; motion on the flooding of Awba, Ofemmili, other communities in Awka North LGA, Idemmili North and South LGAs in Anambra Central Senatorial District; motion on the urgent need for the federal ministry of youths and sports development to complete construction works and commence its mandate implementation at the abandoned national youth development centre located in Mgbakwu, Anambra State for youths of the catchment area.

The nature of these bills and motions goes to show how up to speed Iyom brings herself with the pulse of his constituents, Anambra State and Nigeria in general. Their sheer volume tells of a lady who spends sleepless nights racking her brains and engaging her team and her people on how best to make her presence at the federal house of senate impact the people as positively as can be. She is the grassroots general and, given how far-reaching her influence is and her bills are, she is obviously indispensable now as a lawmaker. The onus now lies on the electorates of Anambra Central to do the needful come February 25, 2023.

One of the acclaimed mini Amadiohas prefering slavery for their people more than 98% of the Igbos asking for justice and equal rights.