Nigeria: Rethinking Part-Time Legislature

The greatest bane of institutional development in Nigeria is the hurried approach to dealing with national challenges. Preference for adhoc and hybrid measures has always robbed the nation the opportunity to have defined and consistent system of building institutions that support real growth and development.

 

For some reasons devoid of rational thinking, some of the elites are complicit in misleading people by driving critical national conversation from jaundiced and myopic perspective.

 

At a time the issue on the table is how best to address the current recession in the economy deploying effective monetary and economic policies supported by strong institutions of government, some analysts and commentators went wild with emotion by suggesting that the country should have a part-time legislature.

 

Most of the interventions in the conversation unfortunately, were championed by individuals one ordinarily assumes have the learning and exposure to know better. In the first instance, what can be said to be the nexus or connect between having a full-time legislature and resolving the policy gaps and functional ineptitude that resulted in the parlous state of the economy. If the intention were altruistic and well thought out, the present situation of things demand a robust legislative input to strengthen institutions of state to deliver on strong policies and programme and ensure a paradigm shift.

 

Why then, of all times, would anyone who lays claim to being a good student of public policy and resource management, suggest that the solution to the country’s problems can be found in embracing the idea of part-time legislature. Perhaps, the long period of military governance in the country and the fact that the legislature has been denied the opportunity of having unabridged operational life, accounts for the perception that governance even in a democracy can be driven without a virile legislature.

 

Over the years, the legislature has refused to assert itself or even acquit the institution creditably because some of the legislators are simply ill-equipped, poorly informed, understandably lack the capacity to perform legislative functions and above all, create wrong impression about the place of the legislature in democratic setting. The timing of the calls for part time legislature and the coincidences around same, are simply suggestive but suffice it to state that those that clamour for a weak legislature must realize that there would be governments after the ‘strong man’, President Buhari.

Good laws are predicated on the principles that precedents are for all persons and we must as a people, resist the temptation of looking at individuals when making laws or drawing up policies that would endure. It’s even inconceivable to tinker with the idea of settling for a part-time legislature, if we really appreciate the volume of work expected to be done in creating the requisite legislative environment given the structural changes that must be made to draw the country out of economic recession.

 

Have the proponents of part time legislature paused for a moment to look at the constitutional role of the legislature at all levels. Except we are soaked in to the sentiment that all that the legislature does in Nigeria is to sit down and joke, there cannot be any justification for such ill-informed calls.

 

For freshers, it is apposite to state that the business of legislation involves more than what transpires on the floor of the chambers during plenary. Committee work takes more than sixty (60%) percent of the time of legislators and we cannot afford the luxury of inviting distractions in the name of part-time legislature or however described. We may not be comfortable with the character or faces of the members of the legislature as currently constituted at the Federal, State and Local governments, but that cannot be a strong reason for the clamour to destroy the institution that represents the heartbeat and soul of democratic practice.

 

The advocacy should be for all to be involved in mobilizing towards ensuring that persons to be elected as legislators must be men and women of character, sound education, knowledge, discipline and embodiment of the right values and gravitas to deliver on mandate. When once the process and benchmarks are right, the institution would definitely be strengthened for performance assurance.

 

Agreed that the legislature as presently constituted at all levels of government habours the good, the bad and the ugly, yet, that does not diminish its importance in driving a virile democracy anchored on the finite principles of separation of powers and the attendant checks and balances. The beauty of building a democratic order on the terms of internationally accepted best practices, which envisages a governmental system piloted by a thinking executive, an impartial judiciary and a strong legislature, is that governance becomes seamless and the government, responsive, sensitive, accountable and pro-people in every material particular.If any arm is weakened and forced to be unable to perform its constitutional role, the governance gaps would implode on the system and the society.

 

Nations of the world rise up to challenges through reasoned and measured approach and not by taking irrational and precipitate actions that compound the problem instead of providing solution.

NCC Urges Legislature On ‘Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill’

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday urged the National Assembly to give urgent consideration in passing the ‘Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill’ into law.

 

 

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta gave the advice in a statement issued in Lagos.

 

 

It said that passing the bill into law would give more legal teeth in the prosecution of telecoms infrastructure vandals.

 

 

The statement added that the Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill, when passed into law would enable the protection of telecoms infrastructure, for the benefit of the consumers.

 

 

It said that under the existing laws of the country, vandalisation of telecoms infrastructure carried heavy penalties, including a jail term, if found culpable.

 

 

According to the statement, the commission is currently consulting with the lawmakers to finalise on the bill, which seeks to treat all telecoms infrastructure as public properties, that should be protected.

 

 

It said that the benefits and all the useful services being enjoyed from the telecoms industry were now threatened by the spate of vandalisation of the infrastructure across the country.

 

 

The statement added that the regulatory body was worried that vandalisation of telecoms infrastructure was slowing the pace of growth, and contributing to poor quality of services.

 

 

”Fellow citizens should be part of the war against vandalisation of telecoms infrastructure. We need to be more vigilant. We need to report any form of vandalisation to security agencies.

 

 

”On our part as the regulator of the telecoms industry, it is our desire to make Nigeria better, using telecommunications services.

”It is our desire to improve on the varieties and quality of services that Nigerians are getting from the telecoms industry.

”It is our continued desire that telecoms services are available to Nigerians, wherever they may live, be it in the city, or in sub-urban or rural areas,” it quoted Danbatta as saying.

 

 

 

(NAN)

Applause For PDP’s Outgoing Legislature Leaders

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the immediate-past Senate President, David Mark, and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, for ably leading the House.

The party also commended the immediate-past Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and his deputy, Honorable Emeka Ihedioha for their efforts in steadying the ship of the last House despite some challenges.

National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh said the leadership of the party notes the efforts of the last National Assembly under the Chairmanship of Senator Mark in ensuring unity among lawmakers and leading the federal legislature to provide the much needed direction for national development.

The former ruling party also showered encomiums on other legislators for their steadfastness to the party and the nation at large.

“The leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and members of our great party nationwide appreciate the commitment of our leaders and members in the Seventh National Assembly for their selfless contributions to the development of our nation,” said Metuh.

“Indeed, we are pleased to underscore that in line with the undying values, tradition and manifesto of the PDP, our leaders and members in the last Senate and House of Representatives respectively, amply demonstrated that the true essence of statesmanship lies in employing its uncommon values to the benefit of the people rather than self and for this, we are very proud of them,” he added.

Metuh listed the passage of Freedom of Information Act, amendments to the Electoral Act for credible, free and fair elections among other important legislations passed under the PDP-led National Assembly.

The party said it is particularly satisfied that the outgoing PDP leadership in the National Assembly as it laid solid foundation upon which the nation’s legislature could always leverage for greater productivity in the interest of all.

Credit: CAJ News