As the 9th Nigeria National Assembly comes to a çlose: The Legislative Maestro, Ndokwa Representative, Rt. Hon. (Rev) Ossai Nicholas Ossai Ph.D. – A Legislative Shining Star on the Hills and Nigeria’s Democratic Governance Champion

As the 9th Nigerian House of Representatives journeys into the political history books of the Nigerian State today, the 11th of June, 2023 to never reconvene again. We pay tribute to a champion of democracy and a frontline commanding officer of Nigeria’s legislative Development -Rt. Hon. (Rev) Ossai Nicholas Ossai PhD (Nig).

For over two decades, Rt. Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai devoted his life and focused his passion and competence to joining forces with governments at the local, sub-national, and national levels in the service of humanity.

Born on November 4th, 1963, the Legislative Maestro is perhaps one of the very few Nigerians with the privileges of two decades of unblemished excellent public service leadership records laced with core leadership competencies, glowing academic certifications, and lifelong endearing impact.

In the struggle for the enthronement of civilian rule in Nigeria, Hon. Ossai was one of the leading young courageous University Students who participated actively in democracy promotion efforts and also paid heavily for the resurgence of the democratic order we enjoy today in Nigeria. Following the restoration of civilian rule, he contested and was overwhelmingly voted into office in 1999 to represent the good people of Ndokwa West State Constituency in the Delta House of Assembly and was re-elected in 2003 as Member and subsequently the powerful Majority Leader of the 3rd Assembly. While in the House, he became the cynosure of the Assemblies, uniting the house, ensuring the welfare of members, and delivering legislation, representation, and oversight with the speed of light and unmatched passion. He served on various committees including the House Services and Protocol Committee in the 2nd Assembly as Chairman. Under his service as Majority Leader of the House, the House of Assembly enacted several key pieces of legislation that positioned Delta State on the trajectory of development under the administration of His Excellency, Chief James Ibori. In Representation, Hon. Ossai was exemplary and superlative in delivering quality representation to the people of Ndokwa West State Constituency. He created a multi-stakeholder forum and held regular constituency visits and interactions to aggregate, articulate and address the challenges of the people through various legislative instruments and delivery of socio-economic and infrastructure projects.

The Legislative Maestro’s outshining legislative performance in the State House of Assembly and the outstanding transformational leadership he exhibited as the 9th Chairman of the Governing Council of the College of Education, Agbor fuelled what became a passionate call by various political and community groups for him to seek the office of the Ndokwa Representative in the National Assembly of Nigeria. Responding to the call to do more for the people of Ndokwa Nation, Hon. Ossai contested to represent the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State at the House of Representatives in the 2011 General elections. His popular victory was however delayed but through God’s divine intervention and the perseverance of the people, his mandate was restored at the Appeal Court in Benin in December 2011; and was subsequently sworn in as a member of the National Assembly (House of Representatives) in January 2012, precisely six months after the 7th National Assembly was inaugurated.

Undeterred by the six months’ delay, but grateful to God Almighty for his Mercies and Gracefulness, Hon. Ossai braced the trail and hit the ground running immediately. His rich leadership experience as a former principal officer of the State Assembly, charismatic, and pragmatic leadership nature announced him in the Green Chamber almost immediately after the oath of office was administered to him. For the next three Assemblies, the 7th, 8th, and 9th National Assembly, the people of Ndokwa Nation demonstrated fidelity to Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai in re-electing him three consecutive times to the House of Representatives where he shone as a beckon of light, engraved Ndokwa’s name in Nigeria’s map of honour and championed Nigeria’s legislative development, constituency advancement, national unity, and democracy consolidation to the Glory of God and admiration of men.

From his endearing grand mastering and display of legislative brilliance on the floor of the Green Chamber to legislative Committee rooms, to manifest skillful legislative oversights engagements and mega constituency empowerments and development projects across Ukwuani, Ndokwa West, Ndokwa East, and Nigeria. Through it all, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai understood, maybe more than anyone else that the legislature is the temple of democracy that can be used to formulate and implement policies to better the lives of the people through enlightened executive government and groomed legislative grit and wit of the Members of the legislature.

With over 100 economic and development bills to his credit, 105 high-impact legislative motions that addressed national and constituency concerns, 15 public petitions on behalf of constituents, more than 1000 constituency development projects in the areas of education, infrastructure, IPP Step-Down, primary healthcare, human capital development and empowerment, social investments programs, community interventions, and flood relief, job creation in federal MDAs, rural water schemes, rural electrification, scholarship support, youth, women and security interventions, constituency representation town-halls, ICT and innovation projects; MSME support and business incubation; land and coastal transport interventions, agricultural and agro-allied projects, skills acquisition and development, Hospital bill support, household support, community youth leadership training, Legislative Council leadership training and development, party administration and stakeholders support among other constituency representation and services he successfully delivered to the Glory of God and the benefit of Ndokwa people, and Nigeria at large. We recall that during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the pandemic devastated the world’s economic and social life order for nearly two years. Hon Ossai became arguably the first Nigerian federal legislators that utilized the Zoom platform to continue constituency representation in the global absence of physical contacts. The engagement witnessed the convergence of Ndokwa People from over ten foreign countries and across Nigeria participating and contributing their thoughts to Ndokwa Development. This is besides his donating his salary to support the national efforts, opening a food bank in the constituency office, and inaugurating the Ndokwa Covid-19 relief fund and Health rapid response to complement government efforts. Perhaps, Hon Ossai’s records accomplishment was his facilitation of over N1.2m in agricultural and small business development loans to over 800 constituency members, which amounted to the attraction of over One Billion Naira in small business development capital directly into the bank accounts of constituency members from the Central Bank of Nigeria. (These have been well documented in the Legislative Maestro’s Giants Strides Legacy Book).

In recognition of Hon. Dr Ossai’s commitment to national development and legislative brilliance; His Excellency, President Mohammadu Buhari, in December 2017 under the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) honoured him with the “National Merit Impact Award” for sponsoring the “Secured Transaction and Movable Assets” legislation, which contributed in helping Nigeria move 24 points forward in the World Bank ease of doing business rankings. Excitedly, it was this legislation that empowered the CBN soft loans to millions of Nigerians.

The Legislative Maestro, Hon Ossai Ossai also emerged as Representative of the year 2018/2019 by the National Assembly Press Corps (House of Reps). He was listed amongst the twenty most influential National Assembly Members that positively shaped the 8th Assembly of the Republic of Nigeria by ThisDayLive, named among the 10 Honourable Members with the highest number of bills sponsored in the current 9th National Assembly, Orderpaper listed him amongst the top 5 high productivity National Assembly Members; and nominated for the award of the Most Valuable Parliamentarian (MVP). Most recently, the Punch Newspaper described Hon Ossai N. Ossai as Nigeria’s prolific legislative library whose enigmatic position during legislative debates breeds robustness and a delight to watch. Hon. Ossai’s legislative productivity index has been rated as very high by many parliamentary monitoring organizations.

In his capacity as the 8th House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Ethics and Privileges, he stabilized the House as the chief disciplinarian, issuing legislative guidance on the ethical appropriation processes and conduct of Members and successfully implemented the codification of the first-ever documented Codes of Ethical Conducts for Members of the House of Representatives which was unanimously adopted in the House at plenary. As Chairman, of the 9th House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols, and Agreements, Hon. Ossai’s legislative sagacity and ingenuity led to the repeal and enactment of the age-long Treaties (making Procedure) Act to usher in a new era of Treaties Making Procedure that meets international best practices and legislative scrutiny in Nigeria. Similarly, the Ndokwa Representative resuscitated and re-established the National Depository of Treaties in the Ministry of Justice, Federal Republic of Nigeria to allow for best practices in the management and documentation of international agreements, treaties, and protocols to which Nigeria is a signatory to. Dr. Ossai further proposed and passed a bill on the alteration of section 12 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended) to provide a new regime in treaties ratification and domestication process in Nigeria.

Leadership they say is about vision, influence, capacity, competence, and character. As the legislative Maestro, there is an abundance of these leadership virtues that he has demonstrated in the service of a grateful nation and constituency. We will never forget the courage, determination, and perseverance demonstrated by Hon Ossai Nicholas Ossai in championing a federal institution in Ndokwa nation, which has become a reality today with the approval by the Federal Ministry of Education for the establishment of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Kwale. The nation remembers the legislative capacity and national patriotism displayed by the Legislative Maestro, Hon Ossai in the conduct of an investigative hearing on the Nigeria-China Railway Modernization Loan Agreements that caused a national uproar. Worthy of note is the investigative hearing on the abandoned NDDC Projects that span over two decades, the report of which stimulated the Presidency to order for a forensic audit on the administration of the NDDC and infrastructure projects in the country. It was the same Hon. Ossai, that conducted an investigative hearing on the community service agreements between Oil Producing Host communities and International Oil Companies (IOCs) with the aim to harmonize the contents of the agreements and commit the IOCs to deliver their service obligations to the communities to enhance their standard of living and environmental health.

In Dr. Ossai’s legislative life, his passion for legislative business and development is reflected in his glowing academic certifications. Today, he occupies a historic place as of the first ten legislators in Nigeria to obtain a Master’s degree in legislative Studies with distinction honours. As a scholar of legislative practices and procedure, public policy, and administration, he has written and delivered over 25 research papers as a resource person to build the capacities of local and international legislators including Ugandan legislature, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Somali, and Liberia among other legislatures. During the 10th Assembly inauguration course program, the National Assembly Management appointed Hon. Ossai to teach and mentor the 10th Assembly Members-Elect and Senators-elect to prepare them for the effective and efficient delivery of their constitutional legislative mandate.

Hon. Dr Ossai is famously acknowledged by his colleagues as the ‘Legislative Maestro, a legislative institution, a man of character; and a disciplined gentleman with courage and humility. His legislative competencies include pro-poor lawmaking, legislative oversight for value for money, and quality representation for his constituency and the Nigerian masses. He has promoted incredible service records as a member of House Committees on Public Accounts for eight years, Committees of Finance, Public Procurement, Industry, Petroleum (Up-Stream), Petroleum (Downstream), Health Institutions, Commerce and Industry, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and many others.

Hon. Ossau is a giant of a man, whose powerful presence on the Green Chamber inspired hope as the cynosure of other members who desire to get things done. Indeed, his absence in the 10th Assembly will create an irreplaceable legislative vacuum. But we are reminded of his towering and lifelong legacy I will endure forever in the political history of Nigeria and Ndokwa Nation. The Ndokwa Representative public service life reminds us of the absolute imperative to be wise stewards who serve with passion and commitment. Indeed, those who would follow in his large footsteps will long remember his richly earned legacy.

While the Legislative Maestro, will not formally appear on the floor of the 10th House of Representatives for Nigerians to benefit from his rich legislative experience and brilliance that has electrified the House in the last twelve years, shaped legislative debates, and guided legislative business of the House as a light on the hills. His profound impact and legacy will remain a guiding light for the new and returning members whom he has mentored from far and near.

As opined and adapted by the former United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Ban K-Moon in his tribute to the great Mandela “Hon Ossai showed what is possible for our nation and constituency and within each one of us — if we believe, dream and work together. Let us continue each day to be inspired by his lifelong example and his commitment to never cease working for a better, united, and just Ndokwa Nation and Nigeria.”

A grateful nation appreciates the prolific Ndokwa representative, the Legislative Maestro, the Legislative institution and library, and the Bishop of the 9th House of Representatives.

Your stepping aside is for your greater promotions and moving higher in the service of man and God.

Mr. Okereke, E. S.

Served as Hon. Ossai’s Legislative Assistant.