Rising concern over sanctity of National Assembly

7 years ago

Rising concern over sanctity of National Assembly

The current debate over the alleged padding or not of the 2016 Budget has prompted concern over the sanctity of the National Assembly (NASS).

This concern was heightened recently by the call for the probe of some principal officers of the House of Representatives – the lower chambers of the NASS, and consequently the decision by security agencies to investigate principal officers of the House of Representatives including the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara.

Not long ago, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, and other key figures in the Senate were charged to court for alleged forgery of the rules and guidelines of the Senate.

Keen observers see these developments as threats to one of the pillars of democracy in the country and would rather rally to ensure that the National Assembly as an institution was not just preserved but also strengthened to sustain the nation’s democracy.
However, others argued that the ongoing issues at the NASS especially as it concerned the principal officers of the two chambers, were democratic practices that would augur well for democracy in Nigeria.

For instance, Eseme Eyiboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, argued that the difference between democracy and military government is the existence of the rule of law and that in turn results in the liberty and the inherent freedom and rights of the people.

According to him, this rule of law is domiciled in Section 4, sub-section 1, as vested in the legislative powers of the Federal republic of Nigeria in a National Assembly consisting of a senate and House of Representatives.

“The rule of law primarily is the dividends of democracy and not necessarily the construction of roads or building of houses because the military government also constructs roads. What democracy brings is the liberty and the inherent freedom and rights. That is to say without the rule of law, there can be no democracy. And where is the rule of law domiciled, it is domiciled in Section 4, sub-section 1, which has vested in the legislative powers of the Federal republic of Nigeria in a National Assembly consisting of a senate and House of Representatives,” Eyiboh who is the Dean of the Governing Board of Initiatives, stated.

He lamented that there was poor perception among Nigerians of lawmakers and the legislature as a vital institution in the democratic setting of the country.

“I am not speaking on behalf of the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara or the former chairman of the Appropriation Committee, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin. I am talking about the institution. If we allow an individual to bring down an institution that protects and preserves my right and your right, my liberty and your liberty; we have ended up at denying ourselves the opportunity to participate in governance,” the former Federal lawmaker added.

Similarly, Abdulrahman Terab, a former member of the House of Representatives from Borno state who spoke on the issue decried the misconception of the role of the legislators by most Nigerians.

To him, the legislature in the country particularly the National Assembly is wrongly perceived by the public as constituted by persons who are just there to corruptly enrich themselves to the detriment of the people.

He said that this perception must change and the lawmakers, especially the leadership should be supported and encouraged to ensure that the legislature as an institution, was built up to withstand threats by anti-democratic forces.

Also, Eyiboh flayed the move to investigate and perhaps charge the leadership of the House of Representatives stressing that it would further erode the little democratic gains of the rights to liberty and the independence of the legislature.