The Nation Newspaper

Tag: parliamentary system

  • ‘Parliamentary system gets nod’

    ‘Parliamentary system gets nod’

    Spiritual Head of Ijo Orunmila Adulawo, Oluwo Ifagbemi Fajobi, has urged Nigerians to support  the parliamentary system

    Reading a communique of its first congress at Ogun State, Fajobi, decied the expensive presidential system and overbearing power of the President.

    He said: “It is time we opted for the parliamentary system and jettisoned the presidential system, which is not working.On a daily basis, prices of commodities keep skyrocketing, making life unbearable.

    “Traditionalists want us to revert to the parliamentary system, which we operated in the First Republic…’’

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    The body urged Nigerians not to abandon traditional religion and ways, especially when putting political office holders in office.

    It resolved that “henceforth, we should recommend the use of traditional materials such as cutlass, locally-made gun and axe for our would-be-office holders. This will instil fear in them as once suggested by the former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, acting as checks and balances.”

  • Proponents of the parliamentary system: Beware of your wishes

    Erudite scholar and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof. Itse Sagay believes legislators pushing for parliamentary system of government are engaging in wasteful diversion of time and resources. His take:

    Once again Nigerians (this time unemployed legislators) have found a new favourite subject for debate and wasteful diversion of time and resources. Suddenly, Parliamentary System of Government is the holy grail for Nigerian political salvation. For days now, the media, both orthodox and social have become fiercely engaged in pursuing a new political chimera with excitement and apparent seriousness.

    Let it be made clear, the whole idea of one system being better than the other is “poppy cock”, time wasting, arising from either ignorance or mischief. The mischief here being to have a Buhari with reduced powers.

    In 1963, when I was an undergraduate at the University of Ife, the Students’ Union invited Chief Rotinmi Williams, soon after he left office as Attorney-General of the Western Region, to address the Students’ Body on which system was preferable for Nigeria: Parliamentary or Presidential? I have never forgotten his answer. Briefly summarized, it was that neither of the two systems was better than the other. The success of Governance depended on the quality of the operators of government. Bad operators, i.e., bad politicians and “leaders” would always produce bad and failed governance. In other words, the fault was not in the system of governance, but in the quality of the operators of the system.

    We were operating this suddenly “golden” parliamentary system then. It led to a declaration of a state of emergency in the Western Region, restriction and detention of major political figures, crisis and violence, and the fall of the first Republic. The fault dear Nigerians, was not in that system, but in the irresponsible and reckless manner in which First Republic politicians conducted themselves.

    It is even more foolish to think that the introduction of the parliamentary system will weaken the Buhari Government and empower the opposition. On the contrary, the Prime Minister under a Parliamentary System is far more powerful than a President under the Presidential system. The Prime Minister combines the positions of Leader of Parliament and Head of Government. He does not need the confirmation of parliament to appoint Ministers. It is his sole prerogative. If a vote of no confidence against him succeeds, he can dissolve parliament, and compel his critics and foes to face a fresh election in which they might not be returned.  In other words, a Prime Minister is President and Speaker of the House of Representatives rolled into one. Never mind the fact that the British Parliament has someone designated “Speaker”. All he does is to recognize House members who wish to speak. The Prime Minister must be recognized above every other person as soon as he or she rises up to speak. The Speaker has no discretion in that regard. It is the British Prime Minister who exercises all the powers currently enjoyed by the Nigerian speaker. The House of Lords (Senate) is simply a decoration intended to give the aristocracy and retired elder statesmen a false sense of importance and relevance.

    The Prime Minister is effectively, National President, Speaker and President of the Senate, rolled into one. To bring home the message clearly, there will be no “Saraki”, no “Dogara”- in that system. Buhari will bestride the Nigerian World, under the parliamentary system being proposed.

    The Senate and its President in such a system is an impotent and relatively unimportant body. It can delay, but cannot hold-up legislation. In fact its opposition to any bill can be overridden by the House under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

    So those calling for the re-introduction of the Parliamentary system in the mistaken belief that it will result in a weak Executive Branch should think again. They are foolishly asking for a system in which a powerful Prime Minister will control both the Legislative and the Executive Arms of Government. My advice to them is :”Beware of what you wish for yourselves”.

  • Lawmakers seek parliamentary system

    LATE last week, 22 members of the House of Representatives, acting on behalf of some 71 lawmakers, addressed the press on a bill they were sponsoring at the lower legislative chamber. The bill, if it passes, is designed to return Nigeria to a parliamentary system of government. In January, former Osun State governor and interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande, had told the media while marking his 79th birthday that the parliamentary system of government was to be preferred over the cumbersome, opaque and expensive presidential system currently in operation. In response to his erudite contribution, this column had penned a short exposition on the debate about which system of government is best suited for Nigeria. That short piece first published in January is reproduced above.

    But last week, some members of the lower legislative chamber weighed in on the debate and, without mincing words, pointedly asked for the support of their colleagues to vote for the parliamentary system. They adduced reasons, many of them in sync with what Chief Akande ably argued on January 16, 2018. Here is an excerpt from the 71 lawmakers’ arguments, as presented by their spokesman, Nicholas Ossai: “Studies have shown empirically that countries run by presidential system consistently produce lower output growth, higher and more volatile inflation and greater income inequality relative to those under parliamentary ones. Little wonder the rich continue to be richer whilst the poor get poorer, and we have become the poverty capital of the world…There are countless empirical records which show that output growth under presidential systems are in zero points (negative) while output growth under parliamentary systems clocks from one point and above (positive). Great Britain is an example. France is another example. Australia is also an example of countries with high positive output. …Due to the excessive powers domiciled in one man under the presidential system, consensus building that is often required for economic decision is always lacking. If it is under a parliamentary system, the prime minister is part of the legislature. The over-centralisation of government decisions that is prevalent in a presidential system obstructs economic development when compared to the parliamentary or hybrid system…The decentralisation of powers in parliamentary system helps to douse tensions in countries – like Nigeria – where ethnicity, race, religious differences and ideological divisions are prevalent, thereby promoting peace and unity which are ingredients for economic growth and development…Parliamentary systems promote inclusion and collectiveness which is critical to equality of income distribution and opportunities.”

    It is not clear whether this intervention by the 71 lawmakers is not coming late in the day, especially given the nearness of the debate and the amendment effort to the next set of elections. Nor is it clear that 71 lawmakers actually and wholeheartedly back the intervention. And if the number of those sponsoring the bill is accurate, there is no proof, until it is shown to the public, that the 71 legislators are actually representative of the country’s geopolitical sensibilities. But if these misgivings are finally settled, the lawmakers must be applauded for their thinking and courage. The present Nigerian structure is inoperable, through and through. It is also inordinately expensive, unrepresentative, ponderous, monarchical, and simply too inadequate for the future.

    A cursory look at the economy, and particularly the inability to pay wages and guarantee development and infrastructural renewal, indicates very clearly that something urgently must be done to snatch Nigeria from the jaws of impending chaos. Tinkering with the system or hoping that the people and their elected representatives can suddenly become altruistic, is simply insufficient for the crying need of the times. Something drastic must be done. Chief Akande was dispassionate and visionary enough to lend his voice to the need for substantial change; now 71 lawmakers have added their weight. Nigeria must find the boldness to conquer their fears and address the future. So far, sadly, they have done nothing to show that they are thinking of that future.

  • Why Osun adopted parliamentary system, by Aregbesola

    Why Osun adopted parliamentary system, by Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has explained why his administration adopted the parliamentary system of government for local government administration.

    Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for councillors representing the wards in the local governments, local council development areas (LCDAs), area councils and administrative offices, on Tuesday evening, the governor said the adoption of the system was in fulfilment of the people’s wish to deepen democracy.

    He said the parliamentary system would also entrench genuine democratic practice at the grassroots.

    Aregbesola said he was sensitive to the overwhelming wish of the people, as stated in the report of the Gbadegesin Adedeji-led committee on political reforms, that the parliamentary system of government be adopted.

    The governor noted that by adopting the parliamentary system, the state had complied with the wish of the people.

    According to him, the experience in the First Republic attests to the fact that the parliamentary system deepens democracy and offers far greater political representation and effective governance than any other system.

    Aregbesola argued that the decision to adopt the parliamentary system of government was also in fulfilment of Section 7 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates that “the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed and, accordingly, the government of every state shall, subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils”.

    The governor said his administration’s action to adopt the new system was not against the constitution or contrary to the tenets of democracy but to galvanise good governance and effective representation.

    He said the parliamentary system was more democratic, compared to the executive, in that the latter tends towards dictatorship, arbitrariness and absolutism, since power is concentrated in one man’s hand with little or no check.

    Aregbesola said: “Our decision is not against the constitution, as quoted earlier. Nowhere did it mention executive or parliamentary – only that it must be democratic – and parliamentary system is as democratic as you can ever get.

    “You will recall that in 2012, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria asked for a memorandum on the review of the 1999 Constitution. A 15-man committee was set up in Osun under the chairmanship of Gbadegesin Adedeji to aggregate the opinions and views from the state.

    “The committee held public sittings for three weeks during which members of the public, institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and others made submissions.

    “In the end, it was the overwhelming wish of the people, as stated in the committee’s report, that parliamentary system of government be adopted at all levels of government. What we have done, therefore, is to defer to the wish of the people in their clamour for parliamentary system of government.

    “To appreciate this gesture, in a parliamentary system, the executive emerges from and is formed in the parliament, making the members of Parliament to be members of the executive as well and the leadership of the executive to be first among equals, primus inter pares.

    “In a parliamentary system, decisions are taken collectively and must be agreed upon by the majority in the House while members of the executive, who are also parliamentarians, can and are daily called to answer questions on any executive action taken.

    “Because the executive members are appointed from parliament, a lot of cost is saved, compared to when fresh ‘persons have to be appointed as ministers, commissioners, chairmen of councils, etc’.

    “This system saves campaign cost and reduces the impetus for corruption in that a candidate only need to campaign in his or her constituency, unlike in the executive system where a presidential candidate must tour the whole country and a governorship candidate must tour the whole state while a chairmanship candidate must tour the entire local council.”

     

     

     

  • Bring back our parliamentary system

    Sir: Parliamentary system of government is one in which a Prime Minister is the head of government and the President is the Head of State, but is usually ceremonial. The Prime Minister is chosen by party not directly by the people. In Britain for example, the Queen/King is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is chosen by the party that wins the majority of the votes or through coalition.

    Until the January 1966 coup, Nigeria was practising parliamentary system of government. Nnamdi Azikwe was the president, while Tafawa Balewa was the first and only Prime Minister Nigeria ever had. It was the coup de tat by renegade Nigerian Military officers that jettisoned the effectual system that led us from Parliamentary to Presidential System.

    Unlike presidential, parliamentary system of government is less costly as the Prime Minister and other ministers are part-time workers. The government is answerable to the congress unlike in presidential (in Nigeria), where resolution of the National Assembly is useless. The parliamentary system is more suitable for multi-cultured countries like Nigeria, where regions can back a party based on their tribal and regional inclinations.

    Nigeria is a country where tribal, regional and partisan sentiments surpass nationalism and patriotism. A tribal chauvinist is more honoured than a nationalist. How can people of Southeast continue to love Ojukwu, who intended to divide Nigeria more than Gen T. Y Danjuma, Gowon and Buhari who fought for Nigeria’s unity? If Nigeria’s inclination is through tribal sentiments, then the parliamentary system is better for Nigeria.

    If the Parliamentary system will not be allowed to return, then why can’t Nigeria adopt the Swiss style of government? In Swiss style, the parliament will chose many people from the major tribes (in the case of Nigeria) or from regions; each person will govern the country for a year and then will step down and become a minister till all the chosen candidates do their single year term before they are replaced with other people. In Swiss style, the ultimate power rests with the National Assembly.

    Nigeria needs a better system of government. This federal style is not working; it only favours the looters and undermines the will of the people.

    The National Assembly should, through a referendum, bring back our parliamentary system or adopt the Swiss style. Either of the two will go a long way in solving the crisis of regional, tribal and sectarian struggles for leadership in Nigeria.

     

    • Comrade Abdulbaqi Aliyu Jari

    Usmanu Danfodiyo University,

    Sokoto State

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