The Tasks Before The New National Assembly

With the election of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives yesterday and the swearing in of members, we can effectively say that proceedings for the seventh National Assembly have begun in earnest.

We congratulate both returning and newly elected members and wish them fruitful deliberations in the hallowed chambers.

It is necessary at this stage to remind members that as representatives of their people, their duty is to make laws that will promote the welfare of their various constituents. They should strive at all times to put the interest of the people first in all their undertakings. This is because without the support given them by the people, they wouldn’t be in the assembly.

Secondly, as representatives of the people, they should articulate the needs of their people and hold the executive arm of government accountable to the people. They can do this through their oversight functions.

The people of this country are yearning for a responsive legislature that will not be self serving like we had in the sixth assembly where members collectively decide their remunerations outside the recommendations of the Wages and Salaries Commission.

Not a few Nigerians were aghast when they learnt that the outgone lower chamber of the National Assembly took a loan of N10 billion to pay salaries and allowances of members which they unilaterally fixed for themselves. We need not remind members that activities of the sixth National Assembly leave much to be desired.

Lawmakers should remember where they are coming from and also remember that a good name is better than gold and silver.

The new leadership of the assembly should ensure that it does not make the same mistake made by the former leadership.

Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives should avoid the mistakes made by former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, which had made him a current guest of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

As Speaker of the House, he should remember that his position transcends his membership of the People’s Democratic Party and that he is representing the whole country.

The new legislature should remember that there are many problems facing the country. These include inadequate power supply, poor infrastructure and unemployment. These are germane issues that members should accord priority and ensure that the executive tackles them.

The current leadership of the National Assembly should also look into the outrageous salaries and allowances being paid members. These remunerations have been condemned by Nigerians who contended that the emoluments do not represent the current economic realities in the country. It took the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, to remind us all that the national legislature consumes 25 percent of the country’s national budget. This is unacceptable.

The current leadership of the assembly should make conscious effort to cut down on this and let the wages reflect the reality of the situation facing the average Nigerian.