Thank God, the crisis that initially crippled the take-off
of the National Assembly is somewhat over and the federal lawmakers can now
begin their job of making laws for the good governance of the country in
earnest. The hoopla that attended the election of the principal officers of
both houses of the legislature has, more or less, been laid to rest as it is
doubtful if the pushers of the campaign against Senator Bukola Saraki’s
election as Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President, and
the two leading officers of the House of Representatives, are still keen on
seeing it through.
In view of the overwhelming support that Senator Saraki
enjoys in the Senate, and the recent vote of confidence he got from about 81
out of the nation’s 105 senators, it is apparent that he is the popular choice
of an overwhelming majority of the Senators. The ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC), which clearly had another candidate in mind for the office may,
therefore, be flogging a dead horse pushing the matter any further. That issue
appears best rested, especially as the judiciary appears uninterested in
touching the matter of the alleged forgery of Senate Rules which produced
Saraki and Ekweremadu with the longest of poles. The judiciary, as has been
seen, appears to be sitting firmly on the plank of the principles of separation
of powers and non-interference in the affairs of other arms of government, to
maintain a “siddon look” posture on this controversy.
Under this situation, the case of the alleged forgery of the
Senate Standing Orders would appear to have run into a brick wall, since the
election it was used to conduct has become a fait accompli that has been
embraced by the majority of the senators.
Certainly, Nigeria will be better served by the acceptance
of the present peace in the Senate and House of Representatives so that our new
leaders can get on with the effort to effect the promised change in the
country.
Since the restoration of normalcy in the National Assembly,
the federal legislators are now in a pole position to work out new legislations
that can help to move the country forward. The Senate President has taken off
on a good note, leading some members of the Upper Legislative House to the
centre of the war against insurgency in Borno State. At the camp of the
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state, he assured the people of the
North-East that Nigerians are solidly
behind them in their time of trial, and promised that the Senate would ensure
that life returns to the state and the zone.
This is a good demonstration of the importance of the need
to restore peace in the North-east geopolitical zone of the country. Beyond
this, the federal legislature should join efforts with the executive arm of
government in finding a solution to the insurgency. This task is not a
responsibility of the executive arm of government alone. It, indeed, requires the
support and cooperation of all Nigerians.
This visit is a paradigm shift in the attitude of the
National Assembly to the insurgency. For one, the Senate was not drawing
attention for the wrong reasons, but for a cause that is close to the hearts of
all well meaning Nigerians. This same concern that influenced the Senators’
visit to Maiduguri should be applied to the many other problems plaguing the
nation, especially youth unemployment, epileptic power supply and dilapidated
infrastructure, especially roads. Education, health and agriculture also
deserve policies that can move them forward to bring about the desired changes
in the country. The economy of the North-East, in particular, requires urgent
attention, so that the displaced persons can begin to live their lives again,
instead of the present dependence on the government. It is only when peace is
restored and the people are back in their homesteads and able to get on with
their lives that we can say that the government has succeeded in restoring normalcy
to that part of the country.
Beyond these, the National Assembly is expected to play a
critical role in the ongoing effort to check the problem of oil theft and get
looted oil funds back into the country. There are so many of our laws that are
outdated, especially with regard to the sanctions prescribed for stealing, that
it is easy to comprehend why the law, generally is described as an ass. For instance, the
prescription of ridiculous fines for theft of billions of naira as we have seen
it many instances indicates that our laws in this regard are due for an
overhaul, to bring them in tune with the reality of the times.
Another major assignment before the legislature is the
screening of ministerial nominees whenever the president goes ahead to name
them. Screening of ministerial nominees should no longer be business as usual.
We should not have the usual “take a bow” approach. Instead, the appointees
should be gruelled to ensure that they fit into the specific offices for which
they have been nominated.
The task of moving Nigeria forward can only begin when
appropriate persons are fitted into offices in which they can make the greatest
impact. While the executive has the power to nominate ministers, the power to
screen and ensure that they are suited to hold such positions rests with the
Senate. This is a power that must be exercised with all sense of responsibility
to ensure that Nigeria has a chance to experience the promised change that can
only come when capable persons are appointed into the cabinet.
The new government can only be as effective as its cabinet.
Let the National Assembly do all it can to help the executive in placing a good
team in place in the best interest of the country.
Credit: Sun Newspapers
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