By Amos Aar
INDEPENDENT candidacy is soon to be part of the electoral process in Nigeria and politicians are likely to contest elections without political platforms as from the 2027 general elections.
Senator representing Benue South, Comrade Patrick Abba Moro, gave this hint on Wednesday when he granted audience to journalists in his office at the National Assembly (NASS) Complex, Abuja.
Senator Moro disclosed that he proposed the bill for the independent candidacy in the 9th Senate which had been adopted by twenty-four states of the federation and assented to by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According him, independent candidacy is meant to avoid what he referred to as “overbearing and oppressive attitude of political parties in the sponsorship of candidates especially the manipulative tendencies among the governors”.
Moro who lamented that his bill on the autonomy of local governments in Nigeria fell short of the 24 states in the 9th senate however said, he would continue to struggle for autonomy of the 3rd tier until it’s achieved so long as he is a legislator.
Although he admitted that bills are not rolled over at the Senate except for capital and non-capital projects, the Benue Zone C legislator expressed his determination to reintroduce important bills he proposed but only two were assented to by the former president out of thirteen (13) in the 9th Senate.
Apart from the Federal University of Health Sciences (FUHSO) bill which facilitated the establishment of FUHSO in Otukpo and a bill for independent candidacy, Moro said a bill for the establishment of the Federal College of Agricultural Technology, Opialu-Ojakpo, Benue State, and a bill on rotation of power, which he said was meant to ensure the shift of presidential power from North to South after eight years and to enable the rotation of governorship seat among the senatorial districts that make up the states, did not see light of the day.
“This is intended to ensure that everybody has a feel of power and everybody has an opportunity to make contributions to the development of their various societies essentially to address the issue of marginalisation and neglect of minorities”, Moro spoke further on the power rotation bill.
Some other bills which Senator Moro promised to introduce de vono (anew) include a bill for veteran welfare fund, a bill for North Central Development Commission and a bill to reintroduce Agriculture produce harvest free zone at Ataganyi, a border town between Apa and Agatu.
Moro, who enumerated many other achievements in different sectors which he said he had recorded for his senatorial district, assured that his second term will focus on roads rehabilitation project, water project and educational transformation through “erection of new institutions”.
On roads rehabilitation, Sen. Moro who expressed worry over the presence of potholes on all Benue roads which some people best describe as swimming pools said already, he is monitoring the dualisation of Keffi-Makurdi-Engu road project to ensure its completion and the project was executed up to Makurdi, Benue State capital, from Keffi as at the time of his interaction with the press.
Moro further informed journalists that he intended to move a motion on some abandoned road projects in Zone C such as the General Hospital to Enugu Road Roundabout, the Otukpo-Oju-Eyahi Road, adding that he was working collaboratively with Jarigbe Agom, Senator representing Cross River North to ensure the construction of the said road and Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi from Abakaliki on the Otukpo-Igumale- Abakaliki Road.
