AS members of the National Assembly resume from their break, thoughts about the task ahead will resonate in their midst. There is huge public expectations from a fast-becoming audience that always put members on a close marking and, indeed, on the spot. For almost four years, the people kept members of the Eighth National Assembly on their toes through constant scrutiny.
There is the issue of welfare and, more importantly, the constitution of standing committees. There were 300 of such committees in the last Senate, while the House of Representatives had 250 standing committees. Members of the various caucuses, especially on party lines, have been involved in intense lobbying, preparatory to the leadership of both chambers constituting the committees. Prior to this, the leadership had set up three ad hoc committees to prepare ground for the exercise. They have since submitted their reports.
In the meantime, the pressure is not within the All Progressives Congress (APC) alone, despite having majority in terms of membership, both in the Senate and the House. There is serious horse-trading within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucuses in the National Assembly over who becomes the Minority Leader in the Senate and that of the House.
Challenge posed by logistic arrangements
The two-week recess observed by the members of the Ninth National Assembly was designed to be used partly by the management of the National Assembly to sort out a number of logistics issues bordering on the welfare of the lawmakers and their primary assignment of legislative duties. While the management of the National Assembly is seeking to make their work environment comfortable, however, Nigerians are in dire need for urgent interventions in the areas of serious concern for the nation and its population. The people are in need of soothing experiences in their day to day life, given the multiple societal challenges that confront them daily. On a daily basis, there are reports of banditry in parts of the country with the recurring orgy of violence in Zamfara State. Following this is the escalation of insecurity in most parts of the country.
The recent report of claim by the Chief of Army Staff of internal sabotage in the military operation to quell the rate of criminality in the country is another major issue of concern. These are matters that Nigerians would want to dominate discussions in the Senate and the House of Representatives as a matter of urgency.
Before the break, some senators had shared their legislative agenda indicating that the nation would witness a departure from the past in legislative duties that would transform the nation and its peoples’ fortunes for the better. They have extended their conviction to allude that the Senate of the Ninth Assembly seemed to be a composition of people focused on development and ready to harness the human and legislative resources in its quest to make a difference in the lives of Nigerians. This is what some of the lawmakers have suggested would be the lot of Nigerians under the Ahmed Lawan-led APC-dominated parliament.
It was four years ago, when the President of the Senate, Senator Lawan, sought to occupy the exalted office. He lost that opportunity and that dream was delayed for another four years. That loss appeared not to have diminished his ambition. This time around, associates and believers of the Lawan Presidency at the Senate went to work. That dream has been actualised and Lawan’s ambition, shared by his party, the ruling APC, sailed through with a massive support across party lines in the three-party Senate. Senator Lawan won the election against his lone contender, Senator Ali Ndume.
Leftovers of Eighth NASS
Before the Eighth Senate wound down, its leadership presented the scorecard of its period of reign from 2015. It affirmed to have hit the ground running immediately it was inaugurated on 9 June, 2015 and at the close of its four-year legislative tenure, the Senate claimed to have surpassed the Senate of the fifth, sixth and seventh Senates in the number of bills passed. According to its accounts, while the Seventh Senate passed only 128 bills in four years, the sixth passed 82 and the Fifth Senate passed 129 bills.
The out-gone President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, who unveiled the record of the Senate under his tenure, lauded his colleagues for a job well done. Saraki expressed optimism that in the period that was left, the Senate would pass more bills that would affect the lives of Nigerians.
“As of today, the Senate has passed 201 Bills. We still have 15 months to go, yet, we have reached this milestone. I would like to thank my distinguished colleagues for their hard work and cooperation over the last 33 months,” he had said.
At a time, there were serious concerns among stakeholders over the 546 pending bills in the National Assembly before the legislative calendar that ended on 8 June, 2019. The concerns were particularly so as a result of fear that the pending bills would be laid to waste, if they were not passed before 8 June, 2019, as stakeholders could have to start from the beginning by re-initiating the bills and lobbying members of the Ninth National Assembly, in order to begin fresh legislative process for the passage of the bills. There were reports that pending bills at committee stage were 167, with those awaiting first and second reading at both chambers of the federal legislature put at 95 and 236 respectively, while pending bills for concurrence are 48.
President Muhammadu Buhari only assented to 32 out of 78 bills transmitted to him, just as he withheld assent to 42 bills, including the Electoral Amendment Bill, 2018. At the tail of its business, the Senate re-passed seven of the 17 bills he rejected on 10 October, 2018 for onward transmission to him. The list of the rejected bills includes; the National Research and Innovation Council (Est.) Bill, 2017; National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism (Est.) Bill, 2018; National Agricultural Seeds Council Bill, 2018; Subsidiary Legislation (Legislative Scrutiny) Bill, 2018; Chartered Institute of Entrepreneurship (Est.) Bill, 2018; Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) (Amendment) Bill, 2018; Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2017; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2017; National Research and Innovation Council (Est.) Bill, 2017 and the Stamp Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2018.
On the other hand, the last House, on November 21, 2018 discharged 16 committees from referrals on 25 bills, pursuant to Order 17, Rule 3 (1) (g) of the Standing Orders of the Green Chamber. The action was hinged on the rule of the House that states: “Any matter referred to any committee shall be treated within 30 days, otherwise the committee shall stand discharged after 60 days and the matter committed to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.”
The decision of the House was based on a unanimous adoption of a motion by the chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Edward Pwajok (APC/Plateau), at the plenary presided over by the then Speaker, Yakubu Dogara. Some of the bills were Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016; Investment and Security Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015; Inland Fisheries Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and Loans (State Development) Act (Repeal) Bill, 2016.
Others include Food, Drugs and Related Products (Registration, Etc.) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2016; Standards Organisation of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015; Communications (Reducing Unsolicited Telecommunications Phone Calls and Text) Bill, 2016 and Unclaimed Financial Assets Bill, 2016, among others.
The committees in charge of the bills were House Committees on Health Services; Capital Market and Institutions; Ports, Harbours and Waterways; Aids, Loans and Debt Management; Industry; Telecommunications and Commerce; National Planning and Development; Insurance and Actuarial Matters, and Finance; Agricultural Production and Services; Federal Capital; Special Duties; Justice; Police Affairs, among others.
Time to walk the talk
The National Assembly will resume at a time prominent individuals and groups are raising state concerns over the worsening state of security across the country. According to many Nigerians, the lawmakers are reconvening at as period Nigerians are battling with acute poverty and want as most homes can hardly boast of a meal per day, due to rising inflation, collapsed economy and infrastructure. A lot of people have lost their jobs because most industries have stopped manufacturing or are operating at a very low capacity. Others have lost their jobs because of epileptic power supply.
The lawmakers are resuming at a period Nigerians have almost lost confidence in the political elite, whose stock-in-trade seems to be empty promises, blatant lies and deceit. In the opinion of many, the lawmakers are reconvening at a period death had become so cheap in the North, South, East and West.
For the APC, members are hopeful of a seamless synergy between the legislative chambers and the executive arm of government. Therefore, many members believe the Senate leadership will facilitate a smooth working relationship with the executive and it (executive) shall have no ‘excuse’ in the delivery of democratic dividends to the populace.
Prior to his emergence as president of the Senate, Lawan had unveiled his legislative agenda, promising a departure from the usual practices in legislative interventions, while also stressing that he was determined to lead a Senate that would continually seek better governance experience for Nigerians.
However, as much as Nigerians hope for a better Senate, there is a sense of reservation on the will among the senators to be altruistic in handling issues of public interest.
“If the Senate places Nigeria’s interest above others, the country will be better for it,” says Mathew Ayade, a resident of Abuja.
But Lawan has said he is not unaware of the attitude of most Nigerians towards the Senate.
“The public perception of the role of the National Assembly has not been one that has been wholly positive,” he said.
In his view and correctly so, the public perception of the role, value and contribution of the Senate to nation building needs to improve and for this, there is a need to develop strategies which will build public confidence through public engagement.
He stressed that the Ninth Senate must re-position itself in the minds of Nigerians and be regarded as an efficient institution that is working to deliver development and improve governance for the Nigerian people.
Lawan’s envisioned Ninth Senate has been processed to be people-centered. Lawan has, on many occasions, stated that the Ninth Assembly will not be a “rubber stamp” to the ruling APC-led executive. The Senate, according to Lawan in his legislative agenda, will ensure a collaboration focused on reforming critical social and economic policy space between the Federal Government and sub-national governments in combating corruption, reducing unemployment, poverty, criminality and insecurity and to address longstanding economic challenges.
The nation is at the moment faced with challenging security situation. This is besides the insurgency in the North-East which has lasted over a decade. The unrestrained attacks by armed bandits on the highway, series of kidnapping for ransom carried out by largely people of same ethnic extraction. With reports of survivors describing their hideouts in different parts of the country, in spite of which security agents have yet to record a downward trend of these activities, the development has become more worrisome to the Nigerian people. Nigerians today live in fear of themselves. This situation calls for an urgent action by the authorities and the Senate president has said the insecurity problem in the land was one major issue his Senate would need to collaborate with the president over and get resolved.
All of these, among other challenges, require the attention of the legislature for lasting solution. The promise of a synergy for a common goal has, indeed, been described as welcome. How this will translate to check the spate of criminality in various states and the nation at large is the desire of Nigerians.
At a recent meeting with journalists at the National Assembly, Lawan said he would redefine the core area of the Senate’s mandate – oversight. He promised more open and transparent oversight functions free of suspicion, to make the work of the legislature not only meet the aspirations of the people, but also improve on the quality of life and enhance national development.
Already, two South-East senators have shared their thoughts on what would be their legislative agenda while in the Senate. For Chimaroke Nnamani, the Nigerian people are in for a robust health intervention from the Ninth Senate, given the need for healthcare for the Nigerian people. It is a critical area for intervention by the Senate because it forms one the important aspects of human capital development. Every society needs a healthy population to be able to build economy, infrastructure and a well organised society.
Apart from this is the desire to reactivate the South-East Development Bill which was put down by the House of Representatives in the Eighth Assembly. To achieve this will require a great deal of leg walk and this, the Enugu East senator said he would pursue with all vigour.
“Not only will this be my advocacy, but also my responsibility to go to my colleagues, visit them one by one and appeal to them to ensure equity and fairness in the development of matters of this nature,” he said.
Besides those two areas of legislative intervention to be advocated by Nnamani, the former Enugu State governor has also endorsed the view of the president of the senate to work with the executive as co-partners in progress of the nation, as against being an antagonistic Senate.
“I believe that the two arms of government (executive and legislature) are co-independent and as long as we wish each other well; as long as the focus is Nigeria, the Senate can act independently. The Senate can assert itself without confronting the executive or jeopardising the goals of discipline.
“So, if you look at how constitutional democracy was developed, the idea was not that the two arms of government will fight or be antagonistic to each other. The idea was that they are going to be co-independent and work together,” he said.
Imo West senator, Rochas Okorocha, does not agree any less. He opined that the success of the Ninth Assembly lay more in its ability to engage with the executive without, if possible, or less antagonism. This course he said he would pursue for a successful Ninth Assembly.
More importantly, according to him, is the need to for the nation to overcome its insecurity challenges and a peaceful engagement between the National Assembly, especially the Senate, will lead to success in this regard. Alongside this, Okorocha said, he would advocate for free access to education for the Nigerian child as a way to boost the literacy level among the Nigerian population and expand their horizon to life.
Beautiful promises from the legislature, especially with a seeming sync among them all. This week, the Senate will begin the four year journey of walking this talk. Nigerians, certainly, wait to see the possibilities for them in this promising Ninth Assembly.
and then