By Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor Ph.D (Dr. Bookastro)
On the 13th of June, 2023, the 8th State House of Assembly was inaugurated in Enugu State by the then Clerk of the House, Barrister Emmanuel Udaya, where Rt. Hon. Uche Ugwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) emerged as Speaker while Rt. Hon. Ezenta Ezeani of the same party emerged as Deputy Speaker. The emergence of these two individuals shocked many in Enugu because the PDP held only 10 out of 23 confirmed seats in the House, while the Labour Party had 14.
This democratic aberration triggered the legislative inertia, public passivity, and civil society complacency which Enugu State is currently experiencing. While in secondary school, during Social Studies and Government, I was taught about various systems of government, tiers of authority, constitutional requirements, and legislative processes. All of these, however, have been ridiculed by the present House of Assembly, its citizens, the civil society, and the press. At that level of learning, we were also introduced to concepts such as bicameralism, separation of powers, checks and balances, legitimacy, and nationhood. Government teachers then were seen as “would be presidents and governors” and often nicknamed “Authority.”
The depth of legislative incompetence and administrative recklessness exhibited by the 8th Assembly is enough to politically retire its members, as they share responsibility for the silence that has permeated the press, civil society, and the citizens. This House rarely sits as constitutionally required and has failed woefully to initiate or amend laws that could impact the lives of people in Enugu State such as ESWAMA laws, MOT laws, laws approving the establishment and operation of private schools and private security companies in Enugu, amongst others. Although they have received 16 executive bills which were hastily processed and passed, only one member, Hon. Anthony Okechukwu Mbah, has sponsored a private members bill. His bill sought to regulate the activities of estate agents, landlords, and house rents. The proposal was widely celebrated by the citizens and trended on social media for weeks, reflecting how pleased the people were to see genuine legislative intervention. Unfortunately, the momentum appeared to collapse under the “Amuneke style of leadership” that has become the hallmark of the Assembly.
The expression “Amuneke” as used here refers to a system of governance characterized by deceit, manipulations, and disregard for the precedent being set for posterity. It is a leadership style aptly described as “the more you look, the less you see.” Is it not curious that the leadership of the Enugu State House of Assembly, which now has about 20 members in the PDP, 2 in Labour Party, and 2 in APC, is yet to be reconstituted over 15 months after it was constitutionally due? The legislators may be politically constrained, but what excuses do the press, civil society, and citizens have for their silence? These institutions, designed to serve as watchdogs, have failed to activate constitutional checks on the legislature. One recalls that when a legislator was politically detained, all actors were silent until the threat to his seat became apparent. Only then did the press, the Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society rise to resist injustice—an intervention that revealed their selective activism.
There are numerous instances where the House of Assembly, civil society organizations, the press, and citizens were expected to intervene but chose silence. Such instances include the mass closure of shops at Ogbete Market in 2023, which led to the killing of two youths; the borrowing of ₦170 billion by the state government in 2023; the announcement of a budget surplus of ₦151 billion in 2024 followed by an increase of about ₦100 billion in domestic debt within ten months; the seven month delay in local government elections; the appointment of critical local government officials directly from the Government House; the concession of Nike Lake Resort; and the award of projects such as bus terminals, a presidential hotel, and a five star hotel without public disclosure of the public private partnership agreements. Other examples include the unexplained resignation of key government appointees and the arbitrary increase in tuition fees in state owned institutions without citizen consultation.
While many blame the State Assembly for its docility, the press, civil society, and the people should also accept a larger share of responsibility for failing to discharge their duties. Enugu State has more than 32 civil society organizations operating mostly on social media, issuing political statements only during elections. Many of them lack physical offices yet regularly submit proposals for training workshops to government ministries, departments, and agencies. This has trivialized the essence of civil society organizations and their constitutional role in governance.
The legislative function is not a ceremonial duty but a constitutional mandate to represent, legislate, and provide oversight. Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution vests law making powers in the legislature, while Sections 128 and 129 empower it to investigate and hold the executive accountable. A legislature that abdicates these duties violates the social contract with the electorate and undermines the doctrine of separation of powers, thereby eroding democratic accountability in Enugu State.
The complacency of the press and civil society further weakens constitutional democracy. A vigilant press serves as the fourth estate of the realm, ensuring transparency and amplifying the voices of citizens. Civil society organizations, on the other hand, are expected to mobilize, monitor, and demand accountability. Their silence in the face of executive excesses and legislative abdication signals either complicity or capture, both of which corrode democratic practice and set a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
Moving forward, Enugu State requires a collective reawakening. The House of Assembly must recommit itself to its constitutional duties of representation, law making, and oversight. Civil society organizations must reclaim their role as watchdogs rather than contractors. The press must rise above selective reportage and fulfill its responsibility as the conscience of society. Citizens, too, must move from passive spectatorship to active participation in governance. Without these reforms, the state risks entrenching the culture of “Amuneke leadership,” leaving future generations with weakened democratic institutions and a distorted understanding of governance.
