Bayelsa Lawmaker Promises To Tackle Drug Abuse in the state
A lawmaker representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency of Bayelsa state, Hon Engineer Rodney Ambioiwei says he would want sponsor bills and motions that focus on drug abuse. He was speaking in an interview in Abuja.
He said that after successfully defending his victory at the Appeal Court, he can settle down for legislative duties to the benefit of his people.
“The area I truly want to look into is the area of drug abuse because that is a menace that is really affecting my people. And I am also happy that I am a committee member on drugs and narcotics. Even yesterday I called the chairman to see how we can get the DG to come over and speak on drug abuse for a programme I am sponsoring on 30th of December. This is for our people to desist from it, particularly the old ladies. Because from what I see now, the old ladies are seeing that as an enhancer. They take drugs in order for them to go to farms. They say that it really helps them and makes them work harder but they don’t know the effect of it and it is a problem to me. Despite that, the area of empowerment is particularly our women, like the common adage says when you empower a woman, you empower a nation. So I am also looking at it from an angle that will empower the women. We would give them soft loans, we train them so they can be entrepreneurs, they can be self employed and also employ other people. We are looking at getting some microfinance activities to empower them”. Hon Ambioiwei lamented.
He said that he was also looking at youth development as the youths also need to be trained.
“We also need to sensitize them because this issue of youths always wanting or asking money from people for survival on a daily basis, for me is not a good thing. I am looking at how I can assemble them and assist them through, probably educational means and other means for them to be empowered. And a whole of things. I have a lot for my people”. He said.
The lawmaker who described his constituents as strong-willed, says he wants his constituents to rally round him to see how to move southern ijaw forward.
“I am a representative for everybody. I am not representative for just the PDP or for my family or community people. Even my predecessor I want him around because I know that he has a wealth of ideas concerning the national assembly. Adding his wealth of ideas from my own I strongly believe we can move southern ijaw to the height in which we want southern ijaw to be. My office is open. My phone line is open to receive any call so as for us to plan towards the betterment of southern ijaw and to also further better our state and country. My plan for southern ijaw is that let us come together and see how we can build a formidable southern ijaw federal constituency” He said.
Hon Ambioiwei, noted that he knows the challenges his people are facing particularly in the area of boat mishap and hopes to address them through motions on the floor of the House.
He stressed that he is a representative of all not only his party members.
“I am for all. I have three mandates. Number one is to pay allegiance to the country, number two is my party and number three is my constituents. Whether we like it or not, every southern ijaw is my constituent irrespective of the party. So for me carrying them along is not a problem.
“And if you look at the whole thing, in one way or the other we are even related. So are you telling me that if my relative is an APC member and he has a problem, I will abandon him to die? It is not possible. I am trying to see how I can group both the APC, PDP and other parties and give them at least a kind of orientation that whether we like it or not we are brothers. We can quarrel and argue in terms of elections, but once we are through with elections, we are one.
Moreover most of the APC people supported me. So why would I not carry them along? I would carry everyone along”. He added.
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