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Gbajabiamila, Political Scientist blame Governors for high turnover of most vibrant lawmakers

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2 years ago

The Director General of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman on Monday expressed concerns over the roles of State Governors leading to a high-turnover rate of Legislators across the country.

In his paper presentation titled: ‘High turnover of lawmakers: Impact and way forward’ during the 2022 Press Week organized by the House of Representatives’ Press Corps’, Professor Sulaiman averred that the high turnover rate does not only disrupt legislative process and activities but also do not ensure continuity between one session of the Assembly and its succeeding regimes, as well as stall timely passage of critical bills such as Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) for over 15 years.

While noting that the high turnover trend also incapacitates the Legislature as an institution in the country, Professor Sulaiman underscored the need to de-emphasize money politics in Nigeria and ostentatious living style of politicians.

Professor Sulaiman who observed that politics should be about service to the country and not short route to accumulating personal wealth averred that “Legislature has a major role to stem corruption in the country, thereby helping to promote accountability and good governance that will deliver maximum democratic dividends to the vast majority of Nigerian citizens.”

He lamented that “incapacitation of the Legislature in Nigeria through a high turnover of legislators, four years interval and inadequate funding coupled with deficiencies of enabling laws, have made our practice of democracy to be less development-driven.

He maintained that the current trend is a drawback for us as a country in terms of governance, funding, wasting of resources, and loss of manpower of lawmakers that know the job. That has been the recurring decimal in the last 23 years, and more worrisome is this year.

He also observed that most of the experienced Senators and members of the House of Representatives that are not coming back to the Upper and Lower Chambers “is on account of executive rascality and that must stop.

“In National Assembly or Legislature, we talk about ranking. If you are doing rotational, your Constituency will never produce Principal Officers. When you are not a ranking, except you use the power of Akpabio. What Akpabio did to accede to the leadership of the minority that time which is uncommon, everything about Akpabio is uncommon.

“When I was talking about Executive, one of the most vibrant senators today is Olori Egbe but he’s not coming back again because the Governor doesn’t like his face. When you look at Senators that have the highest honour of bills, Senator Oloriegbe is one of them in the 9th Assembly but despite that performance, the Governor said I don’t like him so he’s not going back.

“The Governor gave it to a lesser person. He (Oloriegbe) is a Medical Doctor and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and now you are giving to another person who is an OND holder. So, when you look at it critically, where are we heading to? It’s a sad development,” the NILDS helmsman noted.

He also expressed concern over the outcome of the exit of the incumbent President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Ahmad, representing Yobe North Senatorial District due to power play.

According to him, “In terms of right to that constituency; they have lost, just as we lost in Kwara, they have lost too in the Yobe North because we need experience even when it comes to the issue of intervention funds, in terms of constituency project they have lost.”

In the bid to correct the negative narratives, the NILDS accounting officer underscored the need for the Parliament to “engage with policy and other technical issues routinely presented to the Parliament rather than just being loyal candidates to party warlords or Governors.

“There is, therefore, need for rigorous overhaul of the nation’s recruitment process into the parliament. While it is possible from time to time for the democratic process to inject new people into the Legislatures, non-Executive interference and other extraneous factors in the selection of legislative candidates can protect legislative terms and results over the long term and thereby guaranteeing institutional development and capacity building.

“The legislative arm of government must be strengthened through financial and administrative autonomy. The over-dependence of most state Houses of Assembly on funding from the Executive makes them susceptible to manipulation and executive control. Most State Houses of Assembly have not been able to perform their constitutionally assigned roles of oversight on the executive because the leadership of such houses is mere appendages of the executive.

“That is why the issue of autonomy for the legislature needs to be re-emphasized. A situation where parliament would go cap in hand to source funds must come to an end. The clamour must be intensified, and it must not be the responsibility of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) alone. The press must also get involved because we all bear the brunt of this anomaly.”

Going forward, he canvassed for an amendment to the 1999 Constitution, either by prescribing more years for the legislative tenure or stem the incursion of the retired Governors and other executives into eroding the independence of the legislature. The legislature is too important to be the retirement home of Governors and other Executive bigwigs. All efforts must be put in place to change this trend,” he urged.

On her part, the Chairman, House of Representatives Press Corps, Ms. Grace Ike observed that the theme for this year’s event is apt owing to the 2023 general elections that will birth a new Assembly.

According to her, “Since the return to democracy in 1999, the country has continuously witnessed a high turnover of legislators every election cycle. As Journalists covering the National Assembly, we are set to witness the highest turnover of Lawmakers in the 2023 election and this is a cause to worry about.

“Obviously, about 70- 80 percent of lawmakers will not make it back to both the federal and State Assemblies, which is quite worrisome and the adverse effect resulting to loss of institutional memories, experience and relegation of competency to the background among other issues.

“As we all know, Democracy cannot exist without the legislature hence the need for a critical stakeholders’ summit on the adverse effects of high turnover of lawmakers: the good and the bad. For us in the Press Corps who have been covering the parliament for decades, we will continue to analyse and educate the public on its advantages and disadvantages.”

In his remarks, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who was represented by Deputy Majority Leader, Hon. Peter Akpatason reiterated the 9th Assembly’s resolve towards supporting “Nigerian people, to serve the Nigerian people, and to make and support laws that will continue to protect the interest of Nigerians and provide for Nigerians the kind of leadership that is required.

“I am sure you saw what happened during the ASUU crisis the role played by the speaker of the people, those are the kind of things that this Assembly pays so much attention to and emphasis so much.

“To ensure that at any point in time, when intervention is needed we are there for the people and we cannot do this without your continuous support. You have been there for us and you have supported us in every way, we appreciate this and wish to continue to partner with you in every way that we can so that you can also do your job efficiently.”

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