On Recalls and The Call To Action…

I admire Dino Melaye. At the age of 43 he has achieved what many will fail to do in a lifetime. A former member of the house of representatives, he now champions Kogi West in the (questionably) honourable senate. He has won numerous awards; including Best Honourable Representative of the Year by Global Youth Awareness and Development Initiative, Protector of the Youth P.D.P National Youth Vanguard, Epitome of Servant by National Association of Kogi State Students etc. All while managing to beat a domestic violence dispute with his ex wife and recording a hit track, the now famous “Aje ku, iya ni o je”. A multi-talented young man, our Senate really is a selection of the best of us. While his contributions on the floor may not be much of note, his biggest contribution to the progress of our nation may be his potential downfall.
The news lately has been dominated by an attempt (now held up in court) to recall him by his constituents. I’ll admit, prior to this I had very little knowledge of the recall process and doubts on its possible execution. Those doubts still stand but the curious case of Dino Melaye has set a dangerous precedent, one that is unanimously troubling for our ever so comfortable senators. It introduces an unfamiliar concept to our lawmakers, ACCOUNTABILITY. That is why they will all band together to make sure that this attempt is halted and then work towards preventing future occurrences. Even the mighty Saraki is not safe, once the recall floodgates are open, there will be no halting it. Bad for them, good for you and I.
I’ve always believed that solving some of our problems as a nation will start from the bottom up. Starting from the grassroots, YOU in your community. Not just where you reside but also where you are from. Ask questions of your senators, task them with delivering on their sweet tongued promises, initiate recalls if they’re not up to the task. Even an attempt at a recall is enough to get any senator paying school fees abroad to sit up and placate you with a few achievements. For those of you who want to read more about the recall process or already have a lucky lawmaker in mind, here’s an informative article from Vanguard
As for our dear Dino, the Federal High Court Abuja administered an interim order that stopped INEC from going ahead with the recall process. Thursday the 7th of August has been fixed as the date to hear the case. Keep an eye on this case, it’s outcome holds more weight than just the future of our favourite singer/lawmaker.
I want to hear your thoughts on Dino Melaye’s situation and the possible pros and cons of recalls. Please share in the comment section. Thanks for reading.
