The Nation Newspaper

Tag: legislative

  • Strengthening legislative practices in Lagos councils

    Of course, Lagos is known and respected for scoring many firsts in policies, laws and ideas for the betterment of its citizens. In many instances, it has shown over time that having the right leadership at the helm of affairs is just what a society needs to become the envy of its neighbours.

    Yes, in the last two and half years, the state has witnessed unprecedented progress. You want to know why? The arms of government constantly decided to look away from human sentiments and work strictly with the law. We are lucky that as usual, we have a governor who believes in the rule of law and is always careful to ensure it takes pre-eminence in his bid to make the state the real Centre of Excellence.

    This then brings upon us the importance of the local government system in Nigeria and particularly, Lagos. It further brings to mind the need to strengthen that part of government since, as it is supposed to be, it is the nearest to the people.

    There is usually this voter apathy each time local government elections are held. The simple reason and, maybe justifiably so, is that the local government, overtime, became the farthest of the three tiers thus beating its supposed importance. The state is now even closer to the people than the local government. There are complaints by the public that they even hardly know their chairmen, councillors, supervisors, secretaries other appointees of that tier of government. The claim is that they are only seen during electioneering.

    It is known that oversight on local government by the lawmakers in Lagos has been the best across the country and this is not taking out the fact that the executive arm of government has been of major assistance.

    As part of the need to further strengthen the grassroots and ensure that appointees at that level are in tandem with the operations at the state level, the House came up with the decision to constantly have nominees screened just like in the case of the appointment of commissioners and other such officers at the state level. This decision is a part of the Local Government Administrative Guidelines of the state.

    The implication of not screening and confirming such appointments is therefore that anyone who occupies a position of that magnitude would legally only be seen as holding it in acting capacity.

    It is always known that screening of appointees gets them prepared for the task ahead of them. It also keeps them conscious of party manifestos and what they should do. Of course, it is never a witch-hunt, but a pragmatic attempt to complement the efforts of the governor. For example, a prospective appointee is supposed to know the status of the Neighbourhood Watch initiative in his domain, what they think about the government’s battle in trying to sanitise the state, especially their own areas, what they think can be done to further encourage or boost the government of the state. So screening and confirming them confers on them a level of legitimacy.

    It is also pertinent that with the successes recorded with the town hall meetings so far organised by the House of Assembly, it is also necessary that this should be replicated by the various councils before the chairmen would present budgets and have them approved. This would make the councils understand the needs of the people they govern.

    There is further need for the training of officers at that level to understand that the budget is not just one of those usual documents, but one which is legally binding on everyone and which must streamline spending by the chairman. In this case, while the new executive arm of the local government should be trained by the state, the councillors, who form the legislative arm, should be trained by the House of Assembly so they would understand democratic and legislative cultures.

    Will this action accelerate the progress of the state? The answer does not need further argument.

    • Mufutau Egberongbe

    Special adviser on political and legislative matters to Speaker Lagos House of Assembly.

     

  • ‘Assembly’s action is legislative impunity’

    The Special Assistant on Media to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Mr Yinka Oyebode,

    said yesterday that the proposal to set up a judicial panel of enquiry into the financial transactions of the last administration was nothing but legislative impunity.

    He said in a statement that the decision of the lawmakers was not only ill-advised, but also reckless, considering that two suits about the purported probe were pending in court.

    “Simply put, the legislators’ attempt to institute a judicial panel or administrative panel, while the two cases involving the House of Assembly, its leadership and a top official of the present administration (in an Abuja High Court and Ado Ekiti Federal High Court) are yet to be determined is subjudice.

    “Sadly, this is a reflection of their poor knowledge of the law.

    “The lawmakers are advised to study the constitution properly and understand their roles as well as the limit of their power, as this desperate attempt to implicate the last administration is nothing but another wild goose chase,” Oyebode added.

  • Legislative license to rape?

    It took mere suspicion/or allegation of indiscretion bordering on inappropriate sexual solicitation for the United States to name and shame three Nigerian federal lawmakers last month after a visit to the “God’s own country”.

    According to the American envoy to Nigeria, the trio, earlier hosted at a capacity-building workshop, ended up exploring avenues to show “body no be firewood”.

    Now contrast the foregoing with the sheer depravity that unfolded at the senate chamber in Abuja last week and seeming official indifference so far. During a closed door session, Senator Dino Melaye reportedly said unprintable things against Senator (Mrs.) Remi Tinubu, the highlight of which was a threat to “rape and impregnate” a married woman.

    When the lewd tale first broke through the social media, I thought it was another of sick jokes that seem to define the senate nowadays. Later, Melaye defended that Mrs. Tinubu was the first aggressor. Assuming without conceding the Kogi West senator even had a case against Mrs. Tinubu, decency would require he still exercised some restraint. If only to disprove whatever the indecorous name he was called. But with unrepentant Melaye continuing the obscenity with a further muscular parade on the social media, followed with a photographic appearance on “Bourdillon street in Lagos” days later to underscore a lack of contrition, one finally gave up.

    He further spoilt matters by reportedly offering a qualified apology to the senate as a body at a closed session for the shameful conduct, but still thumping his nose defiantly at his victim.

    Infantilism has limits. Even in the seedy underclass, rascality has its own ethics.

    In case Melaye is still unaware, the moral victory is already appropriated by Mrs. Tinubu, a ranking minister in the Redeemed Church, who said in a statement that she had forgiven him, consistent with her Christian value.

    Until now, Melaye was added as my Facebook friend. So, the first precautionary step I then took in the circumstance was to quickly “unfriend” him from my circle. As a proud father, I certainly would not want to be seen by my brood, even if momentarily, in the shady company of self-confessed rapists.

    Taken together, the joke is ultimately on the nation. That is what you get when the legislative arena turns the playground of delinquents with poor values.

     

  • Crisis over legislative aides persists

    •Members reject Melaye’s brother

    Legislative aides of Senators and members of House of Representatives, under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF) at the weekend, rejected Mr. Sam Melaye as their chairman.

    Sam Melaye, younger brother to Senator Dino Melaye, was said to have been foisted on the forum as chairman by the leadership of the National Assembly.

    Members vowed that the younger Melaye, who allegedly did not contest any election, cannot lead them when their constitution is clear about how their leaders should emerge.

    The forum, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Bamidele, said allowing Melaye to lead them would also amount to violation of zoning in its constitution.

    The statement said Melaye hails from North Central where outgoing Chairman Mahmood Muhammed is from.

  • Ganduje pledges to guarantee legislative autonomy

    Ganduje pledges to guarantee legislative autonomy

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has assured that his administration would continue to work in unison with the legislature to give dividends of democracy to the people.

    He made the remark at the closing of first legislative retreat for members of the House of Assembly, at Ibeto Hotel, Abuja. He said:  “My administration would continue to support your legislative task which we always cherish based on its substance in achieving a well – articulated and coherent mode of governance”.

    “Our government would in no way attempt to tamper with the independence of the legislative arm. Your autonomy is guaranteed under this administration and would continue to be respected”.

    On the theme of the retreat, “Concrete Milestones in Legislative Independence and its relevance to the Current Drive for Change in the Mode of Governance at State and Federals Levels”, the governor described it as an attempt that will translate into changing the tenets of governance for the overall good of the citizenry.

    He stressed that the real measure of the retreat “lies on how its outcome would help towards transforming the lives of the people”.

  • My legislative agenda for Ikeja, by Mohammed

    My legislative agenda for Ikeja, by Mohammed

    A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Folajimi Mohammed, has urged members of his constituency to communicate effectively with him through emails and messages,  instead of telephone conversations.

    He also urged them to get their petitions across to him through the social media.

    “Effective communication in  this present age is tantamount to good governance. It helps the masses and even those in rural areas to air their views and petitions. It also brings governance closer to the people. The masses can now speak for themselves”, Mohammed said.

    The legislator spoke at the Ikeja Constituency Town Hall meeting held at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.

    He said messages and emails are more effective than telephone conversations, adding that he may not be able to respond to the high number of calls daily.

    Mohammed, however explained that he is not complaining about the number of calls, but for the communication to be more effective, written form of communication is better.

    He urged the people clamoring for social amenities, including borehole, market and transformers, to be patient, promising to try his possible best to actualize them.

    The former Chairman of Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Francis Oke commended the stakeholders, meeting as a laudable project that ought to be encouraged and emulated because  it helps the representatives hear from the masses directly .

    “This is a very good development as those who are representing us can now come back to the us to seek for our opinion and counsel. Through this medium, we are carried along directly md this would speed up the development process”, Oke said.

    The Southwest Women Leader, Mrs Kemi Nelson, commended the stakeholders and urged Hon.Mohammed to act on their different petitions.

    The meeting was witnessed by monarchs, representatives of wards, market women, artisans, religious leaders, ethnic group leaders, politicians and well wishers.

  • Legislative aides in limbo as Senators, Reps share N4. 3b

    Legislative aides in limbo as Senators, Reps share N4. 3b

    The waiting game continues for former and current legislative aides to federal lawmakers over their unpaid entitlements.

    Serving legislative aides are yet to receive their first salary since their assumption of duties in June while about 3000 former ones who were engaged between 2011 and last May anxiously await information of the payment of their   N5 billion severance benefits.

    The severance benefits were originally scheduled to be paid in June only for the NASS management to keep delaying action.

    National Assembly officials cite lack of funds for the situation, although Senators, Representatives, NASS regular staff and even those sources described as privileged contractors are paid.

    Last month alone, each Senator went home with N13.6million while the 306 Reps received N8million each from about N4.3 billion monthly sub-head for ‘Quarterly Allowance’.

    The National Assembly has a budget of N120billion for this year.

    It was gathered that the NASS management is treating the settlement of liabilities to some contractors as top priority.

    “We  have now been told that the legislative aides’ matter has to wait until a Bill for the 2015 Supplementary Budget is brought to the National Assembly and passed by the two chambers”, one of the leaders of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum, Mr Moruf Ajibolu told one of our reporters.

    Last Wednesday, all the accounts of the National Assembly were frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over non-compliance with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy, but the decision was reversed following the intervention of the NASS management.

    Besides, the NASS is said to owe legislatives aide about N200 million in Duty Tour Allowance (DTA).

    The money was supposed to have been paid in April, according to sources.

    An undated official memo signed by the Director, Personnel Management Department, Dr. I. S. Habu, on behalf of the Clerk of the National Assembly and pasted on various Notice Boards at the National Assembly promised that the issue would soon be resolved.

    But that is yet to happen.

    It was gathered that some legislative aides have started mobilising others for a protest at the National Assembly Complex tomorrow morning.

    However, a faction of the aides is canvassing postponement of the protest by a week to give the authorities time to resolve the issue.

    Efforts to seek clarifications from the acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Benedict Efeturi and the Secretary of Finance, Alhaji Lasisi Bukoye yielded no fruits as text messages sent to them over legislators’ latest N4. 3 billion allowances, non-payments of aides’ benefits and the temporary freezing of NASS accounts last week were not replied.

  • House debates legislative agenda

    House debates legislative agenda

    •Reps vow to block revenue leakages

    Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said that the House will commence debate on the 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda this week.

    A statement issued by his spokesman, Hassan Turaki, said the Speaker made this known when he received the draft 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda from the Committee of Members and Experts he commissioned few days ago.

    “We will debate the legislative agenda and adopt the final version,” he said.

    Dogara informed the panel that the 8th House under his leadership “will do everything possible to implement the legislative agenda even if it means setting up a substantive committee. This will define the character of the 8th Assembly.”

    The Speaker also lamented a situation whereby revenue generating agencies of the Federal government hide under laws establishing them to withhold monies they generate.

    He said even though some laws have allowed the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to retain certain percentage of the revenue they generate, there is the need to review those laws in order to plug the leakages because most of them do under declare their earnings.

    Dogara further advocated for prudent management of the nation’s foreign reserve in such a manner that interest accrued are declared by the foreign fund managers which may be running into hundreds of millions of dollars.

    Another key area that came up for discussion  was the issue of donor funding with some committee members disclosing that between 10 to 17 percent of some ministries’ budgets are funded through foreign aids.

    Some members of the committee also lamented that in most cases, the funds are neither reflected in the annual Appropriation Bill, nor are they declared by the affected ministries and departments.

    The draft legislative agenda is proposing for the introduction of sectorial debate, the conduct of legislative needs assessment of the House of Representatives by experts and restructuring of the House standing committees among others.

    Dogara inaugurated the 22-man committee under the chairmanship of C. J. Osman. Hon. C.I.D Maduabum, Aisha Dukku, Abdulsamad Dasuki, Shehu Garba Sarkin Noma, Zakari Mohammed, O.K. Chinda,  Toby Okechukwu, Princess Adedoyin, Ahmed Yerima and Ibrahim Baba were members.

    Others include Hon Adeyinka Ajayi, Ahman Pategi, Adetunji Ajabge, Clement Nwankwo, Mansur Jarkasa, Mrs. Omotayo Brimmo, Enoch Jarumi, Mrs. Cordelia Akunwafor, Professor J. O. Amupitan SAN, and Oscar Okoro.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Executive versus Legislative Impunity

    Recently I have been wondering why members of the Peoples Demo
    cratic Party (PDP) neglect to parade with the Umbrella, the symbol
    of their party, just like the All Progressive Congress (APC) members do with the broom, their own party symbol. Well, whatever may be their reason, may I now humbly canvass for a reversal, as one ingenious way to boost the sagging national economy, reduce youth unemployment and enhance personal security, which ordinarily should be the major campaign issues for the 2015 general elections, were our politicians interested in issue related campaigns, rather than in the reign of impunity.

    Just imagine the millions of umbrellas that party members will buy, as the candidates slug it out at the ward congresses and the rancorous party primaries, not to talk of the national campaign across all the nooks and cranny of our country that will soon follow. Another major advantage will be that the umbrella may become handy weapons to settle the innumerable scores that the PDP primaries are throwing up. Contemplate if the distinguished PDP senators who have rambunctiously adjourned plenary to settle scores, over the primaries, with the overbearing executive at the state and federal, should all have their umbrellas during their rancor filled meetings.

    I guess that many of the Senators and members of the House of Representatives who now feel betrayed by the President and the Governors would joyously support my proposition, at least as one glaring empowerment program for their beleaguered constituencies. It will however be interesting should each Senator and Representative have an umbrella with its pointed tips, when they meet with President Goodluck Jonathan, to iron out the demand that each state must guarantee at least two automatic tickets for serving Senators, and probably also two thirds of the house tickets to the Representatives, to satiate their sense of equity, good conscious and democratic ethos. With the umbrella tips pointing, many of them would be humming, Sunny Nneji’s song: ‘if you do me, I go do you’.

    To show how precarious ordinary party primaries have become, and why everyone needs personal security, the distinguished Senators on the platform of PDP are threatening to commit patricide (impeachment proceedings against the President), should the President not use his executive powers to override the executive impudence of the state Governors, who have unscrupulously appropriated the ward delegates, to scheme the legislators out. Talk of impunity qua impunity, to produce distinguished lawmakers. But even as the Senators complain, they will remember that most of them rode to power, through the same process.

    To ensure that the President takes the matter seriously, the Senators have shot down plenary, as a way to force a violent abrogation of the democratic process to favour them. If they have their way, the President will order the state Governors to direct the delegates to return them as candidates whether they have performed in office or not; otherwise they will raise impeachable offences against the President. A case of quid pro quo. Who knows, as you read this piece, which was penned last week, the famous PDP umbrella, at least the big one at the head quarters may be spread, to calm their frayed nerves.

    As if in a conspiracy against the Nigerian state and worse still, her hoi polloi; the junior chambers are also on a forced long recess, in an attempt to stem the threat of impunity against the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC. While the Honourable Speaker may have the right to defect to the party of his choice; the makers of the constitution never envisaged that the entire lower chambers would be shot down, merely to assuage the potential threats that may arise from such a private initiative.

    While some have argued that Tambuwal ought to have resigned his position as the Speaker, if not his membership of the House, on moral grounds following his defection, they forget that politics has little regard for morality, especially in our clime. In fairness to the Speaker, the law does not automatically disenable him from remaining a Representative of the Tambuwal constituency, Sokoto, where there is division within his party, as he has claimed. But again the makers of the constitution did not envisage that a Speaker of the House of Representatives could abandon the majority party on whose platform he rode to power and defect to a minority party.

    In my view, under the 1999 constitution, it is legally possible for a Speaker or even a Senate President to emerge from an amalgam of minority parties, once the candidate can muster the required support of the majority of members of the relevant house to vote him or her into the leadership. But by practice under the presidential system of government, particularly in the United States of America which we are aping, the majority party produces the Speaker or the presiding officer of the Senate, since the Vice President is the President of the Senate.

    But even were there is conflicting opinions as to the position of the law, as we have experienced following the Tambuwal defection, it is very strange for a Police officer, regardless of the rank, to constitute himself into a court, to interpret the constitution, as the recently confirmed Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Suleiman Abba sought to do. In the least, his attempt to assume a magisterial diktat to interpret section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 constitution is an aberration, which further confirms the rise of impunity in the country. In answer to that executive lawlessness, some members of the House of Representatives are also threatening recourse to an impeachment proceeding against the President. As things are, the road to 2015 is obviously strewn with executive versus legislative impunities.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Nwaogu: There is no zoning in Abia

    Nwaogu: There is no zoning in Abia

    Senator Nkechi Nwaogu will complete her second term in the Senate next year. Between 2003 and 2007, she was a member of the House of Representatives. In this interview with GBADE OGUNWALE, the Abia State governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) submits that zoning with outlaw merit and enthrone mediocrity.

    Why do you want to veer off the legislative terrain  where you have become an authority for the Abia State governorship tussle?

    I think I can do it better as a woman. I know a woman has never been a state governor in Nigeria, but it is a shame that we are wasting over 50 per cent of human resources, who are of the female gender; they are not bereft of ideas. You can’t continue to make them hand clappers and uniform wearers. We are eight women in the Senate today. All of us are chairmen of various committees where men are more in number. This is a place where we have ex-governors and other Nigerians of achievements. Yet, these women have performed their roles creditably well. We have been able to comport ourselves and  do things orderly. I am convinced that if there is a level playing ground, the people of Abia would want a positive change. They would want to try a woman. If Barack Obama had not presented himself to the Americans, nobody would have believed that a black person can become the President of the United States in the 21st century. I am offering myself for  service as governor of Abia State. I have reeled out my programme to my people. All I am asking for is a level playing ground.

    How are you going to scale through the hurdle of the zoning arrangement?

    Zoning has never happened in Abia before. Our  founding fathers saw the goodness in Abia and drew what we call the Abia Chapter of Equity that recognised the old Bende and old Aba zone or the Ukwa Ngwa as it was called. For governorship in Abia, it is two major political blocs. In Abia State, what we have that determines where somebody comes from for governorship purpose is either you are from old Bende, comprising of eight local governments, or Ukwa Ngwa. There was never a time in the history of Abia that we adherred to a zoning formula for governorship purposes. Since Abia was created in 1991, people have campaigned and vied for governorship from every part of the state. In 1999, under the PDP, Orji Uzor Kalu  ran, I. C Madubuike ran, Dan Nwankwo  from Obingwa in Abia South ran, Dr. Amuta from Isiala Ngwa South ran, Dr. Nduadibe from Isiala Ngwa North ran, Chukwu Nwachukwu from Isiala Ngwa South ran, Lambert Nmecha of blessed memory ran for governorship across the state. But at the end of the day, Orji Uzor Kalu emerged as the candidate of the PDP. In the same 1999, for the All Peoples Party (APP) it was Vincent Ogbulafor that emerged. I ran for governorship in 1999 under the platform of the APP. So many people across all the senatorial districts ran and at the end of the day, it was Vincent Ogbulafor that emerged as the governorship candidate. Orji Uzor Kalu won the election and the rest is history. From 1999 to 2007 and even in 2003, when Orji Uzor Kalu was running for a second term, even our brother, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe ran under ANPP from Abia South and was the candidate for Abia South. We have never done zoning in Abia State. It is alien to our state, it is divisive and   destructive. So, that is what has been unsettling the political the climate in Abia State. It is very abysmal to say that we the Abangwa people are divided. Let it be on record that Iiala Ngwa is the ancestral home of the  Ngwa people. So, why will anybody say that Isiala Ngwa North and South and Osisioma Ngwa will not be included. Just because they don’t want certain people to run for governorship. This so-called zoning excludes three local government areas in Ngwa. But, unfortunately, Isiala Ngwa is the father of Ngwa; it’s the ancestral home of Ngwa and you cannot exclude people from that axis like me. Isiala Ngwa people have not even been deputy governors before. For instance, in Obi Ngwa in Abia South, they have been professional deputies; you have Abaribe, Chris Akoma and another person, all have served as deputies. They are all from one local government from 1999 to date. There have been four deputy governors under the platform of the PDP, all coming from Abia South. In Isiala Ngwa as a whole, nobody has even served as Secretary to the government, let alone a deputy governor. What is the import of this call for zoning?

    They would up dividing Ukwa Ngwa people. We are one indivisible political bloc. We fought collectively for it. So, the position should be given to us as a people. We are in the majority in Abia State. Nine local governments made up of about 2. 3 million people. How can you now say that the next governorship should be restricted to half of the Ngwa people.

    So, you think the emphasis should be the capacity to move the state to the next level. Do you have the requisite experience for the job?

    For the Abia people to have given me the opportunity to serve them in the Senate for three times is not a mean feat. I think I am equipped for the job. I know the terrain very well. I am fully mature right now and I have the blessing and direction of God right now. The time is now, with the 12 years I have spent in the National Assembly gathering legislative experience, establishing national and international outreach.

    What do you have to show for the 12 years you have spent  as a federal lawmaker?

    During that period, I was the first and it is still on record that between 2003, 2004 to 2007, I provided mobility as a means of income generation for my constituency on a very affordable basis. I was also instrumental to siting one or two health centres within my area. As a woman and as someone on ground, I realised that the health centres then were very sparsely located. Consequently, mothers or child-bearing mothers in the community were finding it difficult to get to conventional health care centres or hospitals. These are the achievements that are still on record. As a member of the Senate, I brought about certain changes in law which is our primary function as legislators. I sponsored a law which today has brought about relief to the financial sector, that is today the establishment of the Asset Management Company (AMCON). AMCON was a novelty in Nigeria. It was and is still a revolutionary vehicle that is intended to ensure that banks are not saddled with toxic financial loans. When I say toxic loans, I mean loans that are no longer serviceable. The owners of the loans are no longer servicing them, they are no longer repaying them. So the banks are carrying paper profits and with that paper profits, it is deemed that the banks are no longer solvent. With the advent of AMCON, banks today are good, I mean solid. You can put your money there and go to sleep. I have my name on it. Also, I was the co-sponsor of the amendment of the Nigerian Deposit  Insurance Corporation (NDIC).