What Manner Of Legislatures ?
By: Waheed Ogunjobi
The National Assembly comprising the Nigerian Senate and the House of Representatives owing to the account of its establishment is supposed to be the most respected organ of government which in the Nigerian context should not only exist as the law making arm of the tripartite, but as the last hope of the common man, especially in a scenario where the institution that is saddled with that responsibility is in itself enmeshed in questionable integrity test.
What this simply signify is that the National Assembly was a creation of the common man inaugurated for the sole aim of fighting their causes and protecting their interest. A peep into the book of history will lend credence to this claim. Down Memory lane, during the French Revolution, the National Assembly which existed from June 13, 1789 to July 9, 1789, was a revolutionary assembly formed by the representatives of the Third Estate (the common people) of the Estates-General until it was later replaced.
Today, the manner by which some individuals that are members of the hallowed chambers conduct themselves publicly has left many sore tastes in the mouth resulting in the loss of public confidence in the Nigerian National Assembly. Worst still is the pursuit of frivolities at the expense of the real purpose they are elected into offices. For instance, in the course of the week, a member of the National Assembly had hinted that the 2016 budget that the nation is still implementing will lapse sometimes in May or thereabout . In an apparent fire brigade approach, I read in the dailies that the National Assembly has given it’s committee working on the 2017 budget an ultimatum to fast track the process of passing the budget . Everything just sounded like a melodrama!
In a similar vein, former president Olusegun Obasanjo in a recent outburst had accused the legislature of ‘subversion of popular aspiration and habitual greed in the midst of mass poverty and joblessness, an allegation the legislature dismissed with a wave of the hand, yet the ominous signs are there and incontrovertible. Can we forget the issue of legislative SUV despite car loans and pool buses in a hurry in the midst of recession, when most Nigerians can hardly feed and many have indeed died of hunger? What did we choose to do, we ignore the message because of the messenger. We sure do this at our own peril.
Now, it is the season of summons. Granted, as some apologists claim ,the National Assembly by virtue of section 88 and 89 of the 1999 constitution has the power to summon anybody that is being paid by the hard earned tax payers money, except God I think .No one is disputing this; But, a situation where the power is being flagrantly used against real and perceived enemies of the legislatures leaves much to be desired. The legislatures recently summoned President Muhammadu Buhari who cleverly reminded them through one of his aides that there is a proper way of channeling such information and not on the pages of newspaper . What has really come over our so called legislatures ? Has the billions of petrol dollars they flagrantly allocated to themselves at the expense of the suffering masses beclouded their sense of reasoning as some people made us to believe ? Sure, we need no soothsayer to decipher the reason individuals like the Customs Controller General, Ahmadu Alli will refuse to honor such invitation. On this premise, members of the National Assembly should embark on genuine soul searching to determine if the gale of summon that is now the order of the day is in the public or self seeking.
I do not like it when people throw brickbats at our National Assembly. I am always quick to correct people who share this sentiments that they should separate the Nigerian National Assembly from current and past crops of legislatures. This is because, the National Assembly as an institution still remains a noble institution that its existence towards the maintenance and sustenance of democracy cannot be overemphacised. Quiet unfortunately, one cannot beat its chest for the crops of people that the National Assembly had produced, sixteen years into the fourth republic. Thus, it may be difficult to counter the notion by a school of thought that the nation since 1999 had only produced legislature who rather than contribute to the growth of democracy act as a clog in the wheel and championed the cause of retarding the growth . What a sad commentary ?
One pertinent question that always come up among my clique each time we have cause to debate on the issue of the Nigerian nation is whether Nigeria will get out of her current state. Expectedly, views are always divergent. Those who are pessimistic sure do not wish the nation bad, they are only concerned. But, the only argument those who expressed optimism about the situation brings to the table is just to say ‘’ By the grace of God’’ .
Come to think of it, introducing spiritual angle into the situation is sentimental. No one wish that things will not get better , but we should stop deceiving ourselves by working daily to deepen the rot while we only beseech God to lead us aright. It will not just work, unless we are genuinely prepared to repent. The scripture itself says ‘heaven helps those who help themselves’. After all said and done ,one of the people in my circle came up with the thought that Nigeria will and can still be great again, but not under the present structure and I agree no less with him. This is why the call for restructuring and referendum on the nature of our existence is apt. Times without number, it has been said that the 1999 constitution is not a reflection of what Nigeria and Nigerians want for herself . The slogan ‘’ We the people of Nigeria’’ sounds somehow. When did we sat down to agree in such tones. We the people of Nigeria of what generations? We need to be frank and decisive on this.
Yes, the fault lies with us and not in our stars and the gods are not to blame, but ourselves. We all are daily contributing to the rot and until and unless we all stop for sober reflection and retrace our steps, it will just be mere shadow chasing which is what we had been engaged in over the years. The last time someone said the common man had failed to exercise its power of recall over its legislatures, I reminded the person that the electorates had since exchanged that with a bowl of rice and perhaps kegs of kerosene. But talking seriously, whether the masses had sold its right or not, we all know that the forces against progress ,development and injustices are just too numerous and will not allow things to work. The cabals, the entrenched interest and the swindlers will not allow things to work , no matter how hard we try. That is why we have rubbished the integrity built by Buhari over the years. Corruption is seriously fighting back and the cabals are too powerful. Those were the forces Majpr Kaduna
The last time I heard it whether jokingly or real that there were calls for referendum on whether we should retain the system of bicameral legislature as we have it giving the billions of tax payers money going down the drains. If the situation degenerate to this level, it is the situation we have all succeeded in putting ourselves. Edmund Burke was right when he said ‘’The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’’ . Whether through referendum or getting ivolved , the time is now for us to change our destinies. The solution lies in our hands, just like the problems is with us and not with our stars. We need to determine our faith. Remember , British just did with ‘’ Brexit’’ May God save Nigeria from the brink of collapse !