Report Card of Hon. Darlington Nwokocha: A Harvest Of Fruits, Built On A Solid Vision(Part 1)

There are usually two sets of people in this world. Those who will only be remembered when they leave, for the problems they created, and those who will never be forgotten for the many problems they solved, the answers they offered for the myriads of challenges while they lived. Indeed, I make bold to say that, the Rt. Hon. Darlington Nwokocha (Darlooo) can be rightly situated as belonging to the later.

His political trajectory reveal a dedicated representative, who has already successfully trod the sands of time. Through Darlooo’s giant strides too, I see a quintessential legislator, a man who had performed creditably and still does.

Walking through this Expository Essay titled : A Harvest Of Fruits, Built On A Solid Vision, I take a look at the Rt. Hon. Darlington Nwokocha’s Political Sojourn; his representation and the transformational path that he is taking through, as the Honourable Member representing the ancestral base of Ngwa Land ( Isiala Ngwa North and South) in the House of Representatives, Abuja.

The Rt. Hon. Darlington Nwokocha who is an alumnus of the University of Portharcourt and University of Benin respectively, was a two time member of the Abia State House of Assembly between 2007 – 2015 when he represented Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency.

In 2015, He was elected into the House of Representatives by the good people of Isiala Ngwa North/South federal constituency during which he was appointed Vice Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character.

As a result of his brilliance in handling legislative matters and commitment towads delivering constituency development projects and dividends of democracy to the people, he was re-elected for a second term in 2019, which he’s currently serving out.

Presently, the Rt. Hon. Darlington Nwokocha sits as Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters being the only opposition lawmaker from Abia State and among the 22 out of the 143 opposition house of Reps lawmakers Nationwide that made it as house committee chairman, under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker House of Representatives.

He began his second tenure with articulating the ambitious document, The Isiala Ngwa North/South Federal Constituency Strategic Roadmap For Quality Representation And Leadership Reform, a template for good governance which is in tandem with the five pronged action plan of his representation mandate.

Lawmaking and Legislative Oversight Assignment. One of the agenda of the Rt Hon. Darlington Nwokocha’s representation mandate is to make people oriented laws. Today, Darlooo’s voice in the house is popular for his people oriented Bills and Motions. He has moved over 20 motions in the floor of the house and sponsored 9 bills.

These Bills are:

(1) Oil and Gas Investment and Free Zones Bill

(2) National Directorate of Employment Act (Amendment) Bill

(3) Harmful Waste (special criminal provisions, etc) Act (Amendment) Bill

(4) Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill

(5) Cybercrimes ( prohibition, prevention, etc) Act

(6) Nigeria Traffic Warden Service Bill
(Co- sponsor)

(7) Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation Act ( Repeal and Enactment) Bill

(8) National Insurance Bill, etc.

As a matter of fact, the National Insurance Bill, that will replace the 2003 Insurance Act which has been passed into Law by the federal House of Representatives, holds much to the advancement of the insurance industry as it is expected to address most of the problems stagnating the growth of the sector.

Again, in line with his avowed commitment towards leaving the Isiala Ngwa North and South Federal Constituency far better than he met it in 2015, the Rt. Hon. Darlington Nwokocha on Wednesday 21st, December, 2022, presented yet, another bumper Bill for an Act for the Establishment of a Federal University of Health Sciences at Umunkpeyi Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Abia State, which was called up for first reading at the floor of the House Of Representatives, Abuja.

The Bill has high potency to addressing a whole lot of Health Science education gaps obviously existing in Abia state, chiefly at tertiary health science education level.

At various times, Darlooo served as Ad-hoc Committee Chairman notably; Ad-hoc Committee Chairman that investigated alleged corruption in the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS also served as Ad-hoc Committee Chairman that investigated alleged corruption, impunity and official incompetence in the Assets Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON and served as Ad-hoc Committee Chairman that investigated breach of Insurance policies by seven (7) Federal Government Ministries, etc.

Beyond these, the Rt . Hon. Darlington Nwokocha, Labour Party (LP) Candidate for Abia Central Senatorial District in February 25th, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly election, has initiated and completed several projects with so many others at various stages of completion, with specific concentration on Road Infrastructure, Healthcare, Commerce, Education, Agric Support, Human Capital Development/Empowerment, ICT and so many other Poverty Alleviation Programmes which I will relay in the Part two (2) of this Article.

By: Faith Okezie,
From Darlington Nwokocha Support Group For Senate, 2023.