The
primary aim of law is to underline the principle of equality of men.
This noble principle is the foundation of justice and fair play. Without
justice and fair play, society will be threatened by the problems of
insecurity, crime, chaos, and underdevelopment. The basic functions of
lawmakers everywhere are that of making
laws and looking after the needs of their constituents at the central
level. They have nothing much to do to be directly involved in the local
administration in its day-to-day functioning. In Nigeria, however, the
understanding is different.Our Law makers should be made to know that the business of law making is very important to the stability and growth of our democracy, and so should be very careful in handling the issues brought before them. It is sad to say that our legislators are mostly insensitive to the plight of the common man. Nigerians are beginning to see our Legislators to be representing their individual pockets- not the nation. It is believed that Nigerian law makers are the highest paid in the world. This is ridiculous when married to the fact that as the world’s ninth largest exporter of crude oil, Nigeria is still ranked as “underdeveloped” in the real sense of it.
‘’ An average Nigerian senator earns about N240m annually while their counterparts in the House of Representatives go home with about N204m. This development is very sad for a country that lacks basic social amenities such as roads, hospitals, schools, water, and electricity’’.
Mallam Lamido Sanusi had disclosed that a whooping 25% of the nation’s entire budget was used to service members of the National Assembly alone. Does the legislative arm of government deserve this excesses? No, they don’t. There are no visible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians for legislators to merit the outrageous salaries and allowances they take home. Today, members of the National assembly are widely perceived by the public to be corrupt, pampered by unnecessary perquisites and arrogant about their power and economic support
Far back in 1999, the first symptom of legislative high handedness at the National Assembly was manifested in the demand for the outrageous “Furniture Allowance” when legislators were bold to say that they were not in Abuja to spread poverty. The legislators displayed affluence without regard to the prevailing poverty in the land. The furniture allowance debate was their most profound achievement in their first 100 days in office. The same legislators canvassed for the tenure elongation project of Olusegun Obasanjo and in their opprobrium sought re-election to the National Assembly.
Late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, former Senate President, raced to Ogbunike to hide the mace of the Senate, ostensibly to stall his impeachment. He was eventually impeached, even though he asserted that he never came to Abuja to spread poverty. His tenure and that of Senator President Adolphus Wagbara was cut short by allegations of corruption
In civilized climes, lawmakers legislate to protect the interests of the people and engage in regular and periodic consultation with the people. Looting, pillage and embezzlement of public funds are never contemplated in the rules of legislation. Negotiations and bargaining are known norms of debate predicated on rational and logical arguments.
From the look of things, it suggests that Nigerian lawmakers are yet to imbibe civilized values in the art and science of lawmaking. The general impression is that “if the National Assembly can be bribed to mutilate the constitution, since democracy is majority rule, majority of the National Assembly members can be patronized to turn the constitution up-side-down.”
Twelve years after the enthronement of democracy, lawmakers have proved to be bereft of ideas on developmental legislation that would turn around the myriad of socio-economic problems in the country. The history of the National Assembly has remained synonymous with the history of corruption but only changing in form.
The House of Representatives became controversial two years ago for spending a whopping N51 billion on overseas travels. There was the N2.3 billion car purchase scam. Members of the National Assembly have become negative influence on the State Legislatures. The National Assembly has inflicted Houses of Assembly of the various states with the inspiration to loot public funds with impunity
Barely before the end of the Sixth National Assembly, some members of the House of Representatives didn’t delay in apologising to the former Speaker, Patricia Etteh, over her removal from office on allegation of corruption. The lawmakers, led by one of its prominent members, Ita Enang, came out with reasons on why Etteh should be forgiven and the tag of corruption removed from her neck. As this was going on, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) was beaming its searchlight on the former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, over allegations that he secured and disbursed N40billion loans before leaving office. The money was also said to be allegedly used to increase the quarterly allocation of the Representatives from N28million to N40million.
Corruption has taken a disturbing dimension in our lawmaking process today. It is indeed unfortunate that our law makers at the National Assembly are not there for any serious business. They are there to fill their pockets. ‘’This position is further reinforced by the fact that 12 years running, the National Assembly could only point to marginal achievements. There is no sign that our lawmakers are concerned about the continued agitation by Nigerians that the power sector should be fixed, neither is there any step taken by them to address one of the major ills of the Nigerian society, corruption. Many other problems like unemployment, fiscal federalism, and constitutional reform among others are left unattended to’’.
There is no concrete move to address these core problems facing the country even as they are continually raising their allowances. The enticement of going to Abuja is therefore more for the allure rather than going to serve the people
With the election of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, it is necessary at this stage to remind members that as representatives of their people, their duty is to make laws that will promote the welfare of their various constituents. ‘’They should strive at all times to put the interest of the people first in all their undertakings. This is because without the support given them by the people, they wouldn’t be in the assembly’’.
The new legislature should remember that there are many problems facing the country. These include inadequate power supply, poor infrastructure and unemployment. These are germane issues that members should accord priority and ensure that the executive tackles them
Via Sunday Observer
