By Aniekan Udofia
Onofiok Luke hit the ground running from the very day he was announced winner of the election into the House of Representatives as Member representing Etinan /Nsit Ibom /Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency. Little wonder the milestones he has recorded so far in the 9th House.
Prior to his inauguration, Luke who was fully prepared for the task ahead, had nurtured the ground that will provide him sound footing in the House of Representatives. Finding himself amongst new members to the House, he joined to galvanized support for Femi Gbajabiamila to be a front-runner in the race to become Speaker of the 9th House.
As providence would have it, on the day the new member met with Gbajabiamila, Luke was nominated to address the press on behalf of the new members of their position on the Speakership of the House. There he told the world that Gbajabiamila has been endorsed by the new members as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
On the floor of the House on 11 June, 2019, Femi Gbajabiamila was elected Speaker. Luke went further to second the motion for to the nomination of Ahmed Idris Wase as Deputy Speaker. These became the signs of the effective representation that was to come.
By the grace of God and the magnanimity of the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, Luke a first timer was appointed Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary to oversee the entire Federal Judiciary.
As member of the House of Representatives, Luke has been a very prominent voice contributing to several debates on the floor of the House. He has been outspoken when it mattered and has been speaking truth to power.
Luke has called out the Executive arm of government when their actions seem not to be in the interest of the people. In the height of the protest by the Shiites group in Nigeria calling for the release of their detained leader Ibrahim El Zakzaky, Luke called on the Federal Government to obey the court order which granted El Zakzaky bail.
On the issue of worsen insecurity in Nigeria, Luke demanded that the federal government act to save lives and property of Nigerians and every other occupants.
A youth advocate who has continuously pushed their agenda. Through debates, motions and Bills, Luke has championed the course of the youth.
BILLS
In the area of lawmaking, to his credit, Luke has sponsored 21 Bills which are at different stages of law making.
MOTIONS
Also Luke has presented 5 Motions on the floor of the House addressing pressing issues that confront the nation. These Motions are :
1. Motion on a matter of urgent public importance for the need for security agencies to ensure the release of Hon. Justice Chioma Nwosu and increase security and protection around judicial officers across Nigeria.
2. Motion on a matter of urgent public importance on the need for the federal government to appoint more supreme court justices to expedite justice delivery in the country
3. Motion on a matter of urgent public importance on the need for the federal government to postpone the national sport festival in Edo State and other large gatherings.
4. Motion on a matter of urgent public importance on the need to ensure transparency and accountability in the rehabilitation exercise of the nation's Refineries.
5. Motion on a matter of urgent public importance on the need for the federal government to make ALSCON( Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria) in Ikot Abasi functional .
COMMITTEES
Apart from being the Chairman House Committee on Judiciary, Luke is a member of 5 Standing and 8 Ad-hoc Committees of the House.
REPRESENTATION
Luke has not only been a strong voice speaking for his people and Nigerians, he has been consultative in carrying out his responsibility. In December 2019, he gathered his Constituents from the three Local Government Areas of Etinan, Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubium at Etinan Local Government Council Secretariat in a Town Hall Meeting to hear first hand their needs and expectations. In collaboration with YIAGA Africa Luke documented the demands of his Constituents from that Town Hall Meeting and set out to achieve them.
At the Town Hall Meeting, Luke doled out #20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) in cash to his Constituents who had come out in their numbers to interact with him.
When the debate on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) came up, Luke returned to his people to get their input. From his constituency, he gathered the three Council Chairmen, three House of Assembly members and the three Leaders of the councils legislature and handed over copies of documents of the proposed PIGB for them to examine and make their inputs which would form the articles of his submission.
In November 2020, in fulfilment of his campaign promise to the Councillors of his Constituency to offer them training to improve their capacity, Luke sponsored 31 serving Councillors to GOTNI Leadership Training Centre in Abuja for a 3 day course in Leadership Training. These Councillors were flown to and fro Abuja, provided luxury accommodation and all other expenses paid for.
At the height of the total lockdown ocassioned by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Luke provided food relief for his Constituents in the three Local Government Areas valued at Twelve Million Naira and donated Two Million Naira to Akwa Ibom State Coordinating Committee through the Multilateral and Donor Agencies.
Still in 2020, his wife Dr Mrs Uduak Onofiok Luke doled out Seven Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira to empower women from the Constituency as business support fund.
Luke in his resolve to meet the yearning of his people for gainful engagement, has facilitated the employment of 15 persons and also facilitated some Federal Government Social Investment Programme for about 120 persons.
During the debate on solving the issue of the perennial gridlock and congestion of Apapa Seaport that has for several years confronted the nation, Luke seized the opportunity to call on the Federal Government to grant license for the construction and operation of Ibom Deep Seaport. Today that advocacy has received attention.
PROJECTS
As lawmaker representing Etinan/ Nsit Ibom/ Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency, Luke has attracted and executed 10 different projects for his people. Which are:
1. FREE MEDICAL OUTREACH AND HEALTH EDUCATION TO CONSTITUENTS.
2. PROVISION AND SUPPLY OF LAPTOPS TO YOUTHS FOR EDUCATIONAL TRAINING AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT.
3. VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING FOR WOMEN AND YOUTHS IN NSIT UBIUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA AND PROCUREMENT/SUPPLIES OF HAIR DRESSING EQUIPMENT, SEWING MACHINES AND GENERATORS.
4. CONSTRUCTION OF ICT KNOWLEDGE CENTRE AT NSIT PEOPLES GRAMMAR SCHOOL, AFAHA OFFIONG, NSIT IBOM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
5. CONSTRUCTION OF ICT KNOWLEDGE CENTRE AT COMMUNITY COMPREHENSIVE SECONDARY SCHOOL, IKOT OKOBO, NSIT UBIUM GOVERNMENT AREA.
6. CONSTRUCTION OF 2.NO. CLASSROOMS BLOCK WITH FURNITURES, FITTINGS, STORE AND TOILET AT FOUR TOWNS GROUP SCHOOL, IKOT OBIO INYANG IMAN, ETINAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
7. CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER 2.NO. CLASSROOMS BLOCK WITH FURNITURES, FITTINGS, STORE AND TOILET AT FOUR TOWNS GROUP SCHOOL, IKOT OBIO INYANG IMAN, ETINAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
8. CONSTRUCTION OF 2.NO CLASSROOMS BLOCK WITH FURNITURES, FITTINGS, STORE AND TOILETS AT ST. ANDREW’S AFRICAN CHURCH SCHOOL, EDEBOM 2, NSIT IBOM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
9. CONSTRUCTION OF 2.NO. CLASSROOM BLOCK WITH FURNITURES, FITTINGS, STORE AND TOILETS AT GOVERNMENT SCHOOL, IKOT IMO, NSIT UBIUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
10. CONSTRUCTION OF CONSTITUENCY COMMUNITY CENTRE AT ETINAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
Several other people impactful projects have been proposed by Luke and are awaiting disbursement of funds for its execution.
OVERSIGHT FUNCTIONS
Luke in his bid to ensure an effective Judiciary has carried out his oversight functions to courts and judicial bodies. He embarked on a working visit to the Federal High Court, National Industrial Court, National Judicial Institute and Federal Judicial Service Commission to interact with them and seek measures to aid them discharge their responsibility effectively.
In the heat of the nationwide strike by Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Luke in his capacity as Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary convened a stakeholders meeting with the Executive Committee of JUSUN to resolve the issue.
Luke has been pushing for greater funding of the Judiciary realising the enormous task before it and the fact that less than 1percent of the entire budget of 2021 is appropriated to the Federal Judiciary.
HONOURS
Luke was appointed as a member of Body of Benchers, the apex body in the legal profession. As a member Body of Benchers, he has attended several Call to Bar ceremonies. Also within the period of two years, he has received several awards for his outstanding performance in the Green Chamber.
Luke is a member Harmonisation Committee of the Body of Benchers and member Special Duties Committee of Body of Benchers.
By OrderPaper rating, Luke was among the top 10 House of Representatives Members with the highest number of Bills sponsored between June 2019 to June 2020. OrderPaper is an authoritative publication on the activities of the National Assembly.
Luke has been on the entourage of the Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to several top working visits.
He was sponored by NILDS to attend the Legislative Strategic Management Course at the International Law Institute (ILI) Washington DC , USA
Luke was nominated by the United States Department of State to be a part of the International Visitor's Leadership Programme ( IVLP) in USA.
RESOURCEFULNESS
It is on record that between June 2019 to date, Luke has been invited to more than 30 fora to present papers on subjects ranging from youth participation in politics, governance, legislature, politics, education, ICT, youth empowerment, nation building, oil and gas, representation, law and so on. Some of which are:
1. Keynote speaker at the 32nd Annual Convention of Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria ( AKISAN) USA
2. Resource Person at the workshop for Committee Clerks in Nigeria organised by National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS)
3. Lecturer at the special workshop and capacity development Programme for Ugandan Parliamentarians organised by NILDS
4. Lecturer at the special capacity building programme for Members of the Kogi State House of Assembly organised by NILDS.
5. Resource Person at Benchmarking Workshop on Strengthening the capacities of the opposition Parliament organised by NILDS.
And numerous others.
Indeed it has been two years of sterling performance for a five star lawmaker in the Green Chamber.
Luke campaigned on the slogan; A VOICE TO SPEAK and A HEART TO GIVE BACK. In just two years this promise has been evident and in the coming two years more awaits the Federal Constituency.
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