Senate President, David Mark and Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal
| credits: File copy
Never before has the authority of the National Assembly been so brazenly challenged as has been witnessed in recent times. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly difficult for federal lawmakers to successfully discharge their oversight duties because their summonses are being openly defied. And, interestingly, the open defiance is emanating mostly from Federal Government agencies and officials, thus lending credence to reports that officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies may have been warned against appearing before the National Assembly without a presidential clearance. Our legislature deserves what it is getting.
Prominent among those who have dared the lawmakers by refusing to honour their summons is the Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke. The minister, who was summoned by the House of Representatives to come and defend allegations that she frittered away over N10 billion of public funds to charter private jets, has even taken her case a step further by seeking a court protection against a possible backlash from the lawmakers.
There is also the case of the Ministry of Interior officials who have reportedly ignored an invitation by the Public Accounts Committee of the House to clarify the ministry’s expenditures from the Service Wide Votes under which over N4.7 trillion was spent by government agencies without appropriation between 2004 and 2012. In a written response, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Fatima Bamidele, acknowledged the invitation but insisted she would only honour the summons “as soon as the clearance (from the President) is granted.”
Similarly, when the embattled Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, a Deputy Director in the Office of the Head of Service, was summoned early last year by the Senate to defend allegations that he misappropriated about N195 billion pensions funds, he simply ignored the summons. After threatening fire and brimstone, the Senate eventually issued a warrant for his arrest. This also failed to achieve the desired result as Maina ran to the court to challenge the warrant. Then, as with the situation now, the feeling was that he was under cover by the Presidency. When the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, was asked to produce him, the response was that Maina was at large. Yet the Pension Task Force boss was reportedly seen cruising around town in bulletproof cars, under heavy police protection.
For a parliament that is mindful of the public perception of its image, this is the time for deep introspection. It is time for a walk down memory lane, to locate where it all went wrong, and how the legislature can reclaim its pride of place as the main pillar of the Nigerian democratic structure.
To say that the performance of the National Assembly since democracy was restored in 1999 has been disappointing is an understatement. As direct representatives of the people, there has been no evidence that their actions and utterances are directed at public good. While the lot of the electorate has progressively diminished, their representatives, some of whom were more or less jobless before their elections, have become instant multi-millionaires.
When they are not burying themselves in their usual politicking, the only thing they show passion for is their own welfare. It is either they are demanding automatic ticket back to the National Assembly or they are seeking immunity for themselves, to place them at the same level with the executive arm of the government. Even when they have their entitlements monetised, they still go ahead to buy cars, purportedly for legislative functions, which are later sold on the cheap to themselves.
While they have gone to great lengths to make their salaries and allowances a top secret, respected lawyer, Itse Sagay, was able to reveal a few years ago that they were the highest paid lawmakers in the world, even earning higher emoluments than the American President and the British Prime Minister. The Senate President alone is said to gross about N88 million a month in a country where the minimum wage for those fortunate to be employed is N18,000.
It is not a thing to gloat over that an important democratic institution like the National Assembly is being treated with so much levity, almost to the point of public ridicule, by tainted ministers. But, if the truth must be told, the lawmakers have contributed in no small measure to reducing themselves to that level. The constitution gives the lawmakers enormous powers to make laws, carry out investigations and pass resolutions, among other broad functions. It is also the duty of the legislature, just like their counterparts in the 36 states, to hold the executive to account on behalf of the people.
Unfortunately, these powers have either not been exercised at all or have been exercised in their own selfish interests. This is why the executive arm of government holds the parliament in so much contempt. Most of the shortcomings from the executive arm of the government have been sustained because of the failure of the legislature to keep an eye on the executive.
Besides, it is important to note that most of the probes carried out by the National Assembly have not produced any results. A few years ago when the House of Representatives made a big show out of the power sector probe, people were hopeful of a positive result. But, soon after the committee’s assignment, its report was thrown into the trash can, overwhelmed by parliamentary politicking.
The fallout of other probes has also shown that they are done to feather their own nests. For instance, after the oil subsidy probe, a lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, was accused of collecting a $620,000 bribe, together with the clerk of his committee, to strike out names of companies from the list of illegal beneficiaries of the subsidy fund that cost the country over N2 trillion. Another lawmaker, Herman Hembe, was tried for allegedly benefiting financially from an agency he was supposed to probe.
To regain its pride of place, the National Assembly must go back to its core functions of making laws and holding the executive accountable. The laws that allow agencies such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to make money and spend it without recourse to parliamentary appropriation, the Petroleum Industry Bill and the Railway laws, among other laws beneficial to the society, should be revisited. There must be sufficient evidence that the executive is constantly kept under check. When the National Assembly becomes more selfless and responsive, it is only then that its respect will be restored.
