By Ignatius Okorocha
The President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker of House of Representatives, Oladimeji Bankole on Monday in Abuja described legislature in Nigeria as a critical arm of government to be highly incapacitated in its mandates of contributing to national development
Bemoaning the frustration suffered by legislative arm of government in the country, came to the fore at the 6th Convocation Ceremony of Post Graduate Students of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and University of Benin where the former Speaker of the House of Representatives , Hon Dimeji Bankole served as Guest Lecturer.
Bankoke in his lecture on a topic titled :”Legislative Turnover and Effects on Institution Building and National Development”, said incapacitation of the National Assembly and by extension , legislative arm of government generally , arose from high turnover they recorded after every four years.
According to him , while at the National Assembly since 2003 till now , over 70% of lawmakers always failed to win election back into the Senate or the House of Representatives , over 80% of such turnovers happen at the State and local government levels .
The turnovers , he added not only get the legislators at all levels , incapacitated but weakens legislature as an institution .
” Incapacitation of legislature in Nigeria through high turnover of legislators, four , four years interval and inadequate funding coupled with deficiencies of enabling laws , have made our practice of democracy to be less development – driven .
“Weak legislature with high turnover of inexperienced legislators , will continue to hamper good governance in Nigeria “, he said .
Also lamenting on the problem, the President of the Senate , Senator Ahmad Lawan said provisions of 1999 Constitution, left the legislature prostrate going by section 88 which empowers the National Assembly to expose corruption , but rendered it impotent on taking any further steps .
” The National Assembly in particular and legislature as an institution , has never been favoured in the political evolution of Nigeria .
“Turnover is a big issue of development of democracy in Nigeria .
” Required constitutional powers to effectively carry out its functions and duties , are not there just as required fund to function optimally as far as oversights are concerned, making the legislators to be endangered species at all levels .
” Over the years , while the budget of the National Assembly which is less than one percent of the national budget , attracts attention of Nigerians , the remaining 99% belonging to the executive and Judiciary , is less talked about”, he said .
Earlier in his welcome speech , the Director – General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman , said out of the 87 graduands , 30 are in category of holders of Masters in Legislative Studies , 8 for Legislative Drafting , 19 for Masters Degree in Parliamentary Administration , 13 for Masters Degree in Election and Party Politics and 11 as holders of Post Graduate Diplomate in Election and Political Party Management , while the remaining 6 are holders of Higher National Diploma ( HND) in Official Reporting .
