Lawyers canvass for 9th National Assembly independence

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

A cross- section of lawyers have called for the independence of the 9th National Assembly as an arm of government that can check the excesses of other arms.

They also want the National Assembly which is due for inauguration tomorrow to settle down quickly and the pass quality bill that will address the state of insecurity in the country.

Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), said though he expected the 9th National Assembly to cooperate with the Executive arm of the government, “it must not do so at the expense of its own independence as an arm of government that participates in the inbuilt constitutional checks and balances.”

“It should not be a rubber stamp to executive desires and nuances,” he added.

According to him, any National Assembly worthy of its name as the 8th Assembly must rise up and use its oversight powers under sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to check the excesses of the other Judicial and Executive arms of government.

Particularly, he stated that “the usually intolerant, overhearing, dictatorial, arm-twisting and imperious Executive arm that controls the coercive apparatchik of state power and forces.”

“A National Assembly must defend the Nigerian people at all times because governments like soldiers, come and go, while the barracks (the people, the real owners of power) remain.

Also speaking, an Abuja based legal practitioner, Mike Kassa, called on the yet to be inaugurated 9th assembly to address and curb insecurity in the country.

He said they can do this by quality legislation and passage of the state and local government police bill.

Kassa, who made this call in Abuja at the weekend, insisted the move was long overdue.

According to Kassa, such action would go a long way in ensuring adequate policing of the citizenry and help combat kidnapping, banditry and other crimes that has become a daily occurrence in the country.

“Nigeria is under-policed and for us to combat the spate of banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crime, now is the time to embrace state police,” he said.

Another Abuja based legal practitioner, Okechukwu Uju-Azorji, said that one of the greatest problems that militated against some of the good bills passed by the 8th assembly was the executive assent.

He said one of the loveliest bills the 9th assembly should pass is the National Health Insurance Bill that is being proposed to cover just ten percent of the country’s population, adding that the scheme should be extended to all Nigerians.

“If need be the 9th assembly should by-pass the president and pass quality bills for the benefit of Nigerians,” he added.