YOWICAN Concern On The Legislatures, Executive And Democracy In Nigeria
The bickering and wrangling on the positions of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of over declaration of Assets, the Code of Conduct and the budget padding is embarrassing and therefore calls for concern in this third Republic under this administration especially considering the suffering of Nigerians.
In view of the dire need to sustain and promote democracy and democratic institutions for good governance and dividend of democracy to Nigerians, we call on legislatures at both the upper and lower house of the National Assembly to remain resolute and focused.
While condemning corruption and irregularities at all tiers of government, government agencies should not be used by the Executive to silent opposition or perceived enemies under any guise, whatsoever.
The issues concerning the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki predates his election and ascendency to the Senate President; where were the EFCC and the Code of Conduct Bureau before his emergence as Senate President?
The Speaker, House of Representative Hon. Dogara had landmark achievement as Chairman, House committee on Customs and Excise and Chairman Committee on House Services. Prior to becoming the Speaker of the House, his untainted record of achievements is glaring in the two Committees he served. His colleagues in the lower chamber knows the Speaker better and are aware of regulations and processes to remove him if there is a need to do so. Why did it take the whistle blower in the case of the Speaker of the House to wait until he lost his position as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation to bring the issue on budget padding?
Rather than divesting its energy, time and resources to unseat the President of the Senate or the Speaker House of Representatives, we call on the Executives to be focused on the soaring unemployment, poverty, dwindling economy, lack of infrastructure, growing restiveness in the Niger Delta region and the menace as well as recent imminent threat of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. It is evident that there are regulations and procedures in the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly to unseat an erring or unpopular Senate President or Speaker. Rather than the Executives and or their proxies cheapen themselves for the sake of vendetta or self preservation, they should allow internal mechanisms within the legislative system to resolve their internal crises.
We believe the mechanisms of checks and balances in each tier of government should be allowed to resolve their internal crises. Where one tier of government or government agencies decides to be complainant, prosecutor and the judge will raise eyebrows among concerned Nigerians.
We hereby use this medium to call on our legislatures concerning the government’s lopsided appointments, removal of C.R.K in Nigerian Education Curriculum, the weakness of security agencies to check provocative killings of Nigerians especially Christians and the grazing reserve bills. All these are further disuniting and polarizing Nigerians along religious lines.
It is obvious that under-performing or non-performing legislatures can either be recalled by their constituencies or refused to be elected based on constitutional and electoral provisions.
We hope that the religious or regional card is not also at play as the motive behind the wrangling for change at the National Assembly leadership, especially knowing that, there are willing tools as bigots or sentimentalist, who are ready to be used for such purposes.
In conclusion, while calling on the legislatures to remain focused and resolute on their role of law making and over-sight functions, they must also be without blemish and incorruptible to be able to exercise their constitutional responsibilities to Nigerians.
We also call on all well-meaning democrats and those who desire the collective greatness of Nigeria to help sustain and promote the rule of law and social justice as against administrative fiat, or dictatorship.
Engr. Daniel David Kadzai
YOWICAN President
