WE ARE ON COURSE:
BEING TEXT OF REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, RT. HON. AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL CFR, , ON THE OCCASION OF THE SPECIAL PLENARY SESSION OF THE HOUSE ON FRIDAY 15TH JUNE 2012
Protocols
My Dear Honourable Colleagues,
I now formally welcome you to this Special Session of Plenary which has been summoned pursuant to Order 5(18)(2) of the Standing Rules of the House of Representatives. It is the Second Special Session since the 7th House of Representatives was inaugurated on the 6th June 2011.
2.The object of the Session, which you have just accomplished, is to deliberate on grave allegation of bribery brought against a member of this Hallowed Chambers. Hon. Farouk Lawal by Mr. Femi Otedola, an oil marketer, in connection with the work of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Monitoring of Fuel Subsidy Regime empanelled by the House for that purpose.
3.In accordance with our Legislative Agenda we must continue to be, not only sensitive to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians but also proactive on all matters of urgent National importance, therefore, while I apologize for the inconveniences caused to members by this sudden recall from the recess, I trust, we all appreciate that this is a call to important civic duty for our dear country.
4.Hon. Colleagues, when we elected to pursue the entrenchment of probity, accountability and transparency in the conduct of government business as a cardinal Legislative Agenda we advised ourselves never to expect that it will be an easy task. Accordingly I have had cause to occasionally sound a note of warning and reminder that our constitutional task is inescapably hazardous requiring total commitment, diligence, transparency; determination and sacrifice.
5.The Constitution has given the parliament three broad duties which include Law Making, Representation and Oversight. It is interesting to note that of these three, it is that last function, which gives legislature the powers to conduct oversight, that has tended to cause conflict between the legislature and the Executive and remains the most controversial. Yet. it would have been impossible to conduct the other two functions successfully if the Constitution had not given the parliament oversight powers: the single most potent weapon that makers of the Constitution put in place to check abuse by those who execute its law.
6.In full compliance with the Constitutional prescription in S 62(1) and (2) the House has always ensured that all Committees empanelled by it, be they Ad-Hoc or Standing, are given a clear mandate. I find it compelling to state for the umpteenth time that the constitutional power of investigation conferred on the Legislature is for the purpose of law reform and for the exposure of corruption, inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement or administration of funds appropriated by it. In the exercise of this function there shall be no sacred cows.
7.I have emphasized the constitutionality of the oversight function of the legislature because there lingers among many public officials, the notion that in holding public or investigative hearings, the Legislature is over stepping its bounds and also neglecting its other functions. Nothing can be further from the truth. The records of our performance for the first legislative year which just ended on 6th
