In a country where the legislator also functions as the executive for their people, it appeared that Honorable Victor Abang’s job was already well cut out for him even before the starting bell was rung. He had secured nomination from the ruling party in a miraculous way and won the elections on the strength of his philanthropic records and good heart.
The primaries had been an epic and episodic battle, much in the manner of Dante’s The Divine Comedy or John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Such a gargantuan struggle had a distinct Boki provenance, with men of brains, means, valor, timber and caliber in the theater of electoral war. But in the end a boardroom meeting sealed the ticket for him, even though he had appeared the most meek and vulnerable. It is surely not for nothing that he is called Victor Mature.
The elections proper presented a different proposition. The candidate of the opposition party was not a slight man. Attah Ochinke had been Attorney General and chairman of the Bar Association. A soft-spoken genius with the legal craftiness of Anansewa. A tough contest for the Ikom/Boki Federal seat loomed large. In the end, Victor was victorious at the polls, the tribunal, the high court and the appeal court, allowing him to settle down at last for the critical job of making laws and “carrying his people along.”
And it didn’t take long for the nickel to drop either. As they say, he hit the ground on his feet, in a running jump. Bills and motions were soon formulated and presented, all seeking the improvement of living standards and opportunities for the people of his constituency. Two of his motions sought to bring the attention of Nigerian authorities to the worsening security challenges of the people of Boki local government area living on the border with South-West Cameroon, while one called for the completion of the Ikom General Hospital project.
He has sponsored five bills in his first few months in the parliament:
1. Establishment of Elite Sherrill Corps.
2. Establishment of Federal College of Agriculture in Okundi.
3. Establishment of Federal Medical Center in Boki.
4. Establishment of Federal College of Education (Technical) in Ikom, and
5. National Parks Amendment Bill. The bills are in various stages of progress.
To enhance robust representation, Hon. Abang appointed eleven legislative aides and 27 constituency officers as soon as he was sworn in. Several millions of Naira worth of palliatives was distributed during Christmas, while the chapter chairmen of Ikom and Boki got one vehicle each, with 22 motorcycles going to the 22 ward chairmen in the constituency. He has also facilitated the erection of MTN network masts to connect 35 communities in Ikom and Boki to mobile phone networks in the country.
He announces with confidence that the foregoing is just the tip of the iceberg. “I want to bring the government closer to my people. Leaning from my experience working in the National Assembly for many years, I know it can be done. Even though I am not the first person to have been elected to this seat, just watch out because the difference in the next few years is going to be crystal clear. This is my challenge to myself.” He is frequently looking at his wristwatch, he says, because there is so much more left to be done.
Dominic Kidzu, an Essayist, Novelist, Media Consultant and Politician is a Cross Riverian and writes in from Boki Local Government Area.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Dominic Kidzu, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.