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
Lamentation on incapacitation of 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 .