9th NASS will focus on sectoral reforms, constitutional review – Omo-Agege

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The 9th National Assembly would strive to introduce legislative interventions that would see to sectoral reforms and the review of obsolete provisions in the 1999 Constitution, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said.

The senator, who made this disclosure yesterday at the 2019 law week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Abuja branch, said those obsolete laws that have been in place since the nation’s independence would be amended in such a way that they would impact positively on the economy and the lives of Nigerians.

According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Senate President, Ezrel Tabiowo, the set objectives can be achieved when all three arms of government work in harmony with mutual respect for the autonomy of each arm.

Sen. Omo-Agege, who was represented at the event by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Alex Onwuadiamu, said adopting this approach would optimally guarantee improved performance by both chambers of the National Assembly, as well as ensure effective oversight of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government.

He said: “The National Assembly would symbiotically strengthen their separate and joint capacities to discharge their constitutional duties as one independent arm of government working in harmony with the executive and judicial arms of the federal government for their common good.

“It is essential to establish a non-partisan bi-camera mechanism towards achieving a more harmonious, productive, and transparent National Assembly.

This would promote good measurement and coordination of the performance of each chamber’s legislative, representation and oversight duties, and issuance of objective periodic performance measurement and coordination reports to guide the leadership of both chambers.”

He further disclosed that the legislative interventions by the 9th National Assembly would look at critical areas such as elections, education, security, financial and related services, oil and gas, manufacturing and industry, agricultural and related businesses, science, communications technology and news media and related businesses.

Other areas to be looked into are transportation, solid minerals, tourism and entertainment businesses, health, power and energy, public infrastructure, property, construction and housing, youths, children, women and sports, maritime businesses, the judiciary, civil societies, charities and NGOs,

public enterprises and service delivery, the Federal Capital Territory, labour and workers, traditional institutions, inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony and Nigeria’s foreign affairs and diplomatic engagements.

Earlier, Prof. Paul Idornigie, in his presentation titled: “Setting the agenda for the 9th assembly,” said that Nigerian laws show that the country has not departed from the original sources of laws, especially received English laws since the attainment of independence in October 1960.

According to him, some bills have acquired the status of ‘landlords’ and ‘orphans’ in the National Assembly since 2002.

Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Bill as an example, Prof. Idornigie said that “the clamour for regulatory attributes in the oil and gas sector is a realization of the critical position of the sector in our economy.”

He therefore, called for the unbundling of the sector, to separate regulation from operation.

Similarly, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, in a paper titled: “Nigerian laws: A case for extensive amendments” made a case for legislative intervention in situations where decisions of the Supreme Court are in conflict.

According to him, in other jurisdictions such as India and the United States, the decisions of the Supreme Court are subject to amendment by the legislature.

Prof. Osipitan while examining some aspects of the nation’s laws in dire need of urgent amendments identified provisions of the constitution to include state police, local government financial autonomy as well as composition of the Nigerian Judicial Council.