Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly recently attended a three-day retreat at the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ikogosi-Ekiti, where they were enjoined to be good legislators by experts. ODUAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
The job of a legislator is to make laws. Legislators are also expected to perform oversight functions. According to experts, they need to hone their legislative skills to perform these functions. That was why members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly converge on the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort, Ikogosi-Ekiti recently for a three day retreat. The theme was: “The Place of Legislature in Democracy.” It was organised by the House of Assembly Commission, in conjunction with FEMOT Associates. It was witnessed by the Clerk, Mr. Tola Esanu, and other resource persons.
The House of Assembly has 26 members. Only one of them has previous legislative experience.
At the opening ceremony, Governor Ayo Fayose solicited the cooperation of the lawmakers. He said the onus is on them to support his administration through quality legislations. “I need your support for the implementation of our six-point Restoration Agenda,” he said. Fayose, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, said the retreat became necessary to sharpen their skills in the art of lawmaking.
He said apart from lawmaking, the legislators should give their constituencies quality representation. He also said that they should be active in their oversight functions.
The governor said many executive bills would be forwarded to the House for passage into laws to aid good governance. Fayose said he looked forward to a harmonious working relationship the lawmakers, urging them to be loyal.
The Speaker, Kola Oluwawole, lamented what he described “the cat and mouse relationship” that existed between the previous House and the executive. He promised that there will be harmony under his leadership.
He promised that the House would be very vibrant in the quality of debates, oversight functions, passage of bills and service delivery to the people.
The retreat facilitator, Dr. Femi Omotoso, described the legislature as a political compromise between the principles of perfect democracy and the realities of indirect representation in modern complex nation-states.
Describing the legislature as an important arm of government, Omotoso said it plays complex roles in socio-economic development.
In his view, loyalty and dedication to duty are of utmost important to legislators, if they are to faithfully perform the assigned roles.
In a paper titled: “The Growth and Development of Legislative Institution,” Omotoso, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the Ekiti State University, (EKSU), advocated teamwork among lawmakers at federal and state levels to ensure effective service delivery to the electorate.
He advised the lawmakers to make laws for good governance in their states; to always work together to achieve the goals of good governance and representing the interests of their constituencies.
The scholar, who noted that the legislature occupies the most important place in democracy, said the pooling of expertise and resources by legislators would make them fulfil their mandate to the people and make the institution stronger.
In his paper entitled: “Legislature and Democratic Sustainability in Nigeria,”Dr. Ola Abegunde, who teaches Political Science, traced the history of the evolution of legislature in Nigeria to 1861 when the colonial government established the Legislative Council in Lagos.
Abegunde identified the functions of the legislature to include lawmaking, oversight function and representational function. Lamenting that the legislature has not lived up to expectation, he said:”Most of the bills passed to laws are hurriedly passed by the legislators when demands are met on such bills. For example, out of the four hundred and eighty seven (487) bills the Senate received between June 2003 and May 2007, 129 (26.49%) were executive bills, 237 (48.67%) originated with the Senate and 26 (5.34%) were sponsored by members of the House of Representatives.
“Out of the 487 bills, 132 were passed by the Senate out of which 83 (62%) of the passed bills were executive bills and 49 (37.12%) were members’ bills”.
According to Abegunde, the challenges facing the legislature include lack of legislative experience by members, which result in poor performance, low institutional development, lack of autonomy, godfatherism and public misconception of legislative roles.
In his paper entitled “Legislature and Oversight Functions for Good Governance,” a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at EKSU, Dr. Ademola Owolabi, advised legislators to build “an untainted legacy of public service with patriotic enthusiasm.”He decried the misuse of oversight functions by legislators, which has dented the image of parliament before the electorate.
He said: “Most of the committees leave the obvious to pursue shadows just to intimidate their prey to bow to pressure and then look for a way out through unholy “settlement.”
“If you are on a committee to expose corruption and inefficiency in the interest of the entire country, you would do so dispassionately and without exposing your emotion towards the investigated.
“In recent times, we have seen many such investigations and in the end, nothing really comes out for the benefit of the people. The whole investigation sometimes become a conduit pipe for financial waste at the detriment of the people.
“Behind the scene, too many waters pass under the bridge and he investigators go home smiling and congratulating themselves for fooling unsuspecting Nigerians.
“Some committee members now parade around facilities in the various departments and parastatals under their committees only to attract patronage, recognition and to acquire meal or flight tickets to choice countries of the world for personal or family pleasure.”
Professor A. A. Agagu also of the Department of Political Science, EKSU, in his paper titled: “Legislature and Political Communication for Sustainable Development,” described communication as a complex process, which requires some tact and skills. Agagu, who explained that political communication plays a vital role in attaining sustainable development by the legislature, noted that not all political communications are effective as a result of some barriers. The barriers, according to him, could come in the use of language, tone recipient, status distance, self protection of initiator, pressure of work and conflicting views from opponents.
Agagu pointed out that the legislature has often lacked a good image since independence, not because they have been blackmailed by the executive, the press or the citizens, but because of their failure in ihe area of political communication.
In his paper titled: “Legislature Accountability and Transparency”, Dr. Olugbenga Daramola, a senior lecturer in the Department of Banking and Finance, EKSU told the lawmakers that they are accountable for the use of power at their disposal. He pointed our that almost all accountability lines in a parliamentary democracy are in a hierarchical chain through project directors, program managers, departmental heads, secretaries and ministers to the elected representatives of the people.
He stressed the need for the lawmakers to always approach the assignment of playing watchdog roles on public funds and resources with utmost sense of seriousness so as not to soil their hands and dent the image of the institution they represent.
In a bid to ensure compliance with accountability and transparency, Daramola said the declaration of assets by legislators is compulsory under the constitution. He advised the lawmakers to live within their income.
Former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly Dr. Oluwasegunota Bolarinwa took the new legislators through a mock sitting and conduct of legislative business.
Bolarinwa, who is of the Department of Philosophy, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAU), Ondo State, explained that consideration of motions and bills are the major pre-occupation of legislators. He said motions are meant to advise the Executives or any other persons or bodies within that jurisdiction adding that there can be executive bills, private bills and private member bills.
Speaking on dress code for lawmakers, Bolarinwa said legislators are qualified to sit in the hallowed chamber when they are properly dressed, adding that, when in English dress, it must be complete with tie and suit and when wearing native attire, it must be complete with cap for men and head gear for women.
He emphasised that a serious-minded lwamaker must always come for sittings with copies of the constitution and the House Standing Order for consultation, guidance, protection and direction.
The former Speaker said before the commencement of the legislative business, the legislative staff must have distributed the Order Paper and Votes of Proceeding to members.
Shedding light on how bills become laws, Bolarinwa said: “When a bill is presented for First Reading, the Speaker shall call on the Clerk of the House to read it; just for mentioning. No debate on it until the Second Reading when members shall debate the bill.
“It may later be committed to Committee of the Whole House under Executive Session. It may be referred to a Standing Committee of the House or an Ad-Hoc Committee. This is what is referred to as committee stage.
“It is not all bills that usually undergo committee consideration. It is also at this stage of the Second Reading that the bill may undergo Public Hearing.
“Thereafter, the bill will undergo Third Reading which is just to direct the Clerk of the House to read it. No more debate at this level. The Speaker would have read out the adjustments made to the bill.
“The Leader of the House will be recognized by the Speaker to move for the passage of the bill into law. Any other member of the House will be recognized by the Speaker to second the motion.
“And it will be put to question and subsequently passed into law”.
With the three-day retreat over, members of the Fifth Assembly in Ekiti State are expected to have learnt the art and intricacies of lawmaking and other assignments connected therewith and are now expected to hit the ground running.
The principal officers are Speaker Oluwawole, (Moba 1); Deputy Speaker, Segun Adewumi, (Ekiti West. 1); Leader of Business, Tunji Akinyele (Oye 2); Deputy Leader, Adeniran Alagbada (Ise/Orun); Chief Whip, Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere 2) and Deputy Whip, Dayo Akinleye (Ijero).
Other members are Afolabi Akanni (Efon), Wale Onigiobi (Ekiti Southwest 1), Tope Fasanmi (Ado 2), Sina Animasaun (Ekiti West 2), Sanya Aladeyelu (Irepodun/Ifelodun 2), Olanrewaju Olayanju (Emure), Wale Ayeni (Ikere1), Mrs. Titi Owolabi (Ikole 2), Mrs. Cecilia Dada (Ilejemeje) and Ojo-Ade Fajana (Ekiti East 1).
The rest are Olaposi Omodara (Irepodun/Ifelodun 1), Adeniyi Adedeji (Ekiti Southwest 2), Musa Arogundade (Ado 1), Samuel Omotoso (Oye 1), Dare Pelemo (Ekiti East 2), Ayodele Fajemilehin (Gbonyin), Olayode Omotoso (Ido/Osi 1), Badejo Anifowose (Moba 2), Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole 1) and Abiola Jeje (Ido/Osi 2).
