An agenda for the 9th NASS

The legislature is an institution which allows for the participation of all in governance through representation of a democratic government moves. If a legislature views matters through a prism different from that which the executive arm uses, a nation is bound to suffer unnecessary political, social and economic inflictions. This is to suggest that the […]

The legislature is an institution which allows for the participation of all in governance through representation of a democratic government moves.

If a legislature views matters through a prism different from that which the executive arm uses, a nation is bound to suffer unnecessary political, social and economic inflictions. This is to suggest that the level of cordiality between the legislature and especially the executive arm of government is directly proportional to the effective and efficient implementation of developmental policies and programs by the latter.

As the 9th NASS convenes, it is therefore significant that it has, as one of its topmost priorities, to work with the executive arm harmoniously and with understanding in the name of a greater Nigeria. This is not to submit that the NASS makes itself a rubber stamp. Rather, it should carry out its constitutional functions without deliberately making itself a cog in the wheels of governance.

Both the 9th NASS and the Buhari-led executive arm should know that Nigerians do not wish to witness again the kind of sour executive-legislature relationship witnessed in the last four years. Thus, whenever there is conflict, both arms should show willingness to dialogue so as to reach common grounds to facilitate the effective administration of public trust.

With a cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature, a fertile ground to sow the seed of good governance would be in place. And hence the legislature will be able to successfully amend or make laws, as the case may be, on matters that appear to slow down the pace of development in Nigeria. For instance, the State Local Government Joint Account financial policy which has made local governments virtually non-existent despite being the third tier of government needs to be abrogated.  It is a known fact that almost no Local Government Council in Nigeria has the capacity to generate Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) that is enough to cater for its constitutional functions as a third tier of government. They therefore must rely on federal allocation for adequate funding if they are to function affectively.

 

Mukhtar Jarmajo can be reached via [email protected]