Director General of National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman on Monday averted that the imposition of the Presiding Officers in the 10th Assembly is minimal to the country’s democratic development.
Professor Sulaiman who expressed the view at the end of the opening ceremony of the 2-day induction workshop for Members-elect of Plateau and Bauchi State Houses of Assembly, frowned at the high turnover rate of legislators at both State and federal levels.
He said: “The State Houses of Assembly in this country constitute a major law-making bodies but they are faced with a lot of challenges.Challenges that bother on the over-aching or over-reaching powers of the Executive. Challenges that bother on the ways and manner which the Executive permeates or crept into what they do without giving them that autonomy to operate. To me, I count that one as operational challenge and that’s a major challenge.
“If the Legislature which is the critical arm of government is not given the freedom, the liberty to work, to determine the leadership of their House, to determine the principal officers, even to determine the kind of law they make, that’s is not democracy.
“And I want to believe under this 10th Assembly, the State Assemblies they need to go beyond that. Our former President had done so much. The National Assembly has done so much in ensuring that State Assembly have a form of autonomy, they have their own judicial autonomy, Parliamentary autonomy.
“But it’s one thing to have the alteration in the constitution concerning the autonomy, it’s another for the executive with so much powers allowing them to really conduct themselves under that autonomy. To me that’s a critical challenge.
“The second challenge which is major is the issue of funding. Yes the first line charge has been addressed in the constitution, but just like it was addressed in the constitution, and the state government refused to grant them such access to first charge lime, I doubt if the Governors will do. Only two or three State Governors allow State Legislature access to first line charge.
“And as long as the Legislature go cap in hand begging for funding from Executive, their operations, their law-making duty, their oversight function will be hampered and impeded. Secondly, it was a major issue.
“Then, third one, was in the area of capacity, the high turnover rate that we experienced this year, both at the national and State Assemblies is a worrisome development. Most States now, we have new members coming in. With new members the pick up stage in the area of legislation will be slower, governance will be hampered and the knowledge we have invested in the previous lawmakers are now wasted. So, we are starting all over again.
“So, how do we get these lawmakers availed on the knowledge on legislation? How do they know the unfinished business, how do they know the procedures and that will take another one year.
“So, what we are starting today with NiLDS and KAS, is to open the induction process. This is not going to be the first and the last. We are going to have another workshop between now and the next six months to get them acculturated with the Legislative practice and procedures, how bills are drafted, how motions are drafted, how debates are being done, what are the stages of law-making in terms of bill making , the tactics of law-making. All the rudiments of legislation to be really availed them.
“To me these are the three major challenges we have in this country, with our state Legislature and quite frankly, it’s not just limited to the state Legislature, even at the National Assembly the high turnover rate is worrisome and we need more funding as Institute, we need more funding as donor agency, we need more funding as government to out our state and National Parliament through so that we can get them seated and do the normal things they needed to do.
“To me these are critical challenges all of us as a people and stakeholders we needed to be so much worried on.and devise mechanism to address them once and for all.”
On his part, Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon. Abubakar Sulaiman lamented that out of 55 lawmakers only 13 lawmakers are returning while 42 are new.
He however expressed optimism that members of the 10th Assembly in Plateau and Bauchi States will perform excellently, just as he expressed optimism that “the 10th Assembly will be the best.”
