L-R: Dimeji Bankole, Sanusi Lamido, David Mark
Following the Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi’s insistence that 25 per cent of the nation‘s budget is spent on the National Assembly, CHARLES ABAH writes that the comment has further raised the bar of the argument vis-à-vis the place of the lawmakers in the country When the other day the Central Bank Governor, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, said that 25 per cent of the Federal Government budget overhead was spent on the National Assembly, many public commentators raised an eyebrow about the figures. And, more than one week after the revelation, the topic has continued to elicit interesting commentaries from even a cross-section of Nigerians. Interestingly, the more they talk about it, the more engaging the issue has become.
Indeed, those who thought that the invitation of the CBN helmsman to the floor of the National Assembly a few days later would have ended the discussion got it all wrong. Rather, Sanusi‘s insistence that he stood by his statement has not only increased the tempo of the argument, it has attracted more attention to the debate, as well as the state of the National Assembly.
The comment has, in fact, raised the bar, attracting with it other fundamental issues vis-à-vis the place of law-making and democracy in the country. As a matter of fact, arising from the debate, a political group, the Hope Democratic Party, has canvassed that the membership of the National Assembly should be on a part-time basis. In the thinking of the party, the recommendation would greatly reduce the huge expenditure on lawmakers.
According to the party‘s presidential candidate in the 2007 election, Ambrose Owuru, the country cannot continue to tolerate a legislature that serves as a drain-pipe on the economy.
He added that it was morally outrageous for the lawmakers to be adjusting their allowances to the detriment of good governance.
The HDP and Owuru are not alone in kicking against the attitude and the huge expenditure on the nation‘s lawmakers. Many other public commentators and groups including the Civil Liberties Organisation have expressed their views on this debate. For instance, apart from the fact that part-time lawmaking in the country will reduce cost, the CLO, through its Executive Director, Ibuchukwu Ezike, said the idea would discourage corruption and waste.
He said, “Law making process in Nigeria as indeed in most countries of the world should be on part-time basis. This will reduce unnecessary cost and discourage parasitic dependence, corruption and waste of public funds, especially as our lawmakers have failed to use their oversight roles to curb corruption and executive lawlessness.”
But for a human rights activist, Shehu Sani, the issue should not be limited to just part-time lawmaking. Insofar as he is concerned, the way democracy is practised in the country is too costly. To save cost therefore, he canvassed that there was the need to adopt the unicameral legislature in the country.
Besides, Sani who charged the nation‘s lawmakers to try to make sacrifices noted that there was the need to review their allowances and salaries.
He added, “Following the hard times and the state of the nation‘s economy, there is need for our lawmakers to make sacrifices. Elective office should be selfless. The image of the lawmakers for now is not good for the integrity of that office. So, the revelation by Sanusi should be a challenge to the lawmakers to demonstrate that the office is not self serving.”
Beyond charging the lawmakers not to be self serving, the human rights crusader wants the CBN governor to extend the searchlight to the executive arm of government.
Like Sani, a Lagos based lawyer, Mr. Pat Anayadubalu, argued that the Sanusi searchlight should be extended to the executive arm of government.
He argued, “We should also not criticise only the legislators without talking about the executive office holders like the governors because if we impoverish the legislators, they will be puppets to the governors. Remember, the legislators are meant to serve as a check on the executive and cannot competently do it if they are not adequately remunerated or their remunerations are so poor that they will be at the mercy of the executives.”
Anyadubalu further described the Nigerian economy as “still growing” and argued that she had so many things to direct her resources into.
He added, “The job of the National Assembly should be on part-time and their remunerations drastically streamlined so that the economy will be able to sustain the running of their activities. I believe also that if it is lesser remunerated it will be less competitive and the “do or die” attitude we experience in the polity will reduce.”
A university teacher and public affairs analyst at the Lagos State University, Ibukun Kolawole, also agrees with the CLO, HDP and some other public commentators on the issue.
Kolawole, who extolled Sanusi‘s courage, however took the argument to another level. Declaring that the debate was timely, especially with the ongoing minimum wage debacle, the academic said the lawmakers were not doing anything spectacular in the country for now to deserve the hefty salaries that they receive.
Again, Anyadubalu while examining the nation‘s nascent democracy, said election in the country was very expensive and the electorate were not helping matters as a result of their inordinate demand on the public office seekers.
The electorate, he said, should be properly educated to vote according to their conscience and not according to the highest offer that they receive.
In the same vein, the Organised Labour through the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria readily admits like Anyadubalu that Nigeria‘s creaking political system desperately needs an overhaul.
The union in a statement by its President, Peter Esele and the Secretary-General, Chief John Kolawole said, “This revelation has further justified our earlier stand that Nigeria operates the most expensive democracy in the world. If our National Assembly members are not selfish and self-centred, how can they justify collecting between N10m and N15m monthly as salaries in a country with near absent or total collapse of social infrastructure and where people they claim to represent can hardly afford one square meal?”
The union also recommended that membership of the National Assembly should be on part-time basis to reduce the huge expenditure on lawmakers.
Even with the above scenarios, there are still some analysts who hold the view that lawmaking, the world over, is no child‘s play. A political scientist who craved anonymity argued that legislative business was a serious issue that should not be looked upon with lightness. In other words, he holds the view that lawmaking on part-time basis should be out of it in the country.
Given Nigeria‘s ‘modest‘ experience in democracy, he posited that the citizenry should not expect an optimum performance from the lawmakers and by extension the nation‘s politicians.
Source: http://www.punchng.com/
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