The member representing Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Chief Nkemkanma Kama, has said that the major problem with some policies being implemented by the present government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is timing.
In a chat with journalists in Abakaliki, Kama said most of the policies are necessary for the country to move forward but stressed the importance of considering the feelings of the people.
He added that most of the suffering in the country now could have been averted if proper steps were taken before implementation.
He said, “For instance, the amendment of the national anthem, is it what the country needs now? During the debate, some of us asked whether changing the national anthem is what the people want now or a robust economy.
“One of the greatest things the government did was the removal of the subsidy because it’s actually a monster, but I have a problem with the implementation. One, I thought there should have been sensitisation; the procedure is just where I have a problem.
“I am an advocate of the removal of the fuel subsidy. I thought [ex-President Muhammadu] Buhari would have done that in his regime; we thought this would have been done a long time ago. By now, this whole thing would have died down, the effect of it would have gone, but unfortunately, he didn’t do it.
“The President should have planned for the removal and its effects, but what we did was remove it before planning for the effects. This created a vacuum because it’s a big vacuum; we started from Z instead of A-Z.
“There are other policies being implemented like the changing of the national anthem, and my problem with some of these things, like I always say, is sometimes timing. For instance, we have not finished dealing with the effects of the removal of the fuel subsidy, and now electricity is a no-go area for anybody, and you are adding a tariff thing.
“It might be the proper thing to do, but timing again is very important. This is a major problem with some of the policies being implemented. These are the things we need to do for the country to move forward, but you should also take cognisance of the feelings of the people. There should be stabilisation; you can’t add fuel to a burning fire.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t say that much has been achieved. We’ve done boreholes within the communities that make up Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency. We had a healthcare program that affected 16,500 people. Our Christmas palliative was out of town because we did a lot for the communities across the board. We had a stipend for indigent people; we paid school fees and medical fees.
“We have given farm inputs to 400 women. So, we have done much; it’s just that our expectations for our people have not been met, but we believe that by God’s grace, a whole lot will be done as we move forward. Like I always say, very soon, Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency will be a construction site based on the HIPE agenda that we are working with.
“Health, Infrastructure, Poverty Alleviation, and Education. In all these areas, we are trying to make sure that our people are happy, even as the scholarship program is ongoing. So, we have done a whole lot for our people, and we will continue to do our best.”
