Checks and balances not all about disagreements – Rep Namdas
The spokesman of the House of Representatives Rep Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa) speaks on the activities of the 8th House in the last two years and its relationship with the executive. Excerpts:
Daily Trust: How has the journey been in the last two years? Namdas: I think the journey has been good. We had a very slow take off, but we’re now cruising on a very good altitude. There was a leadership crisis from the beginning, but I’m impressed that we all overcame it within a very short period. Judging by the number of bills introduced in the House so far, over 1,050 of them, we were able to pass 159 and over 500 are in various stages, while 33 were either negative or rejected. We also talked about security and did sectoral debate, which is part of the economy. We cooperated with the executive to pass the budget. Of course when budget is presented, it is an exclusive right of the legislature to work on it, but for peace to reign, we engaged the executive. The idea is for us to work together to better the lot of our people. On a general note, I’ll say we’ve done very well.
Yes, it’s all about quality, and all those bills we have passed have direct impact on the lives of Nigerians. We couldn’t have passed them just for the sake of counting numbers, because those bills were debated before passage. They also went through public hearings, so we couldn’t have wasted money on all that just like that. It was done to improve good governance, and I think we’re there now.
DT: How many of your resolutions have been complied with by the executive in the last two years?
Rep Abdulrazak Namdas: What I understand is that when the legislature is not fighting the executive, it is seen as we have not done any job at all. The essence of checks and balances is not all about disagreement but about the fact that each arm of government should be seen to be doing its job. If we all work without any disagreement on some issues, then the essence of democracy is defeated. But I must tell you that agreeably, I wouldn’t say that the level of compliance from the executive is 100 percent. I say that there’s room for improvement in the area of compliance. To some extent, they have been complying.
DT: There’s hunger in the land, and most Nigerians are wondering why the House would roll out the drums for its two years anniversary.
The legislature is a young arm of government in this country, so you need to make people to be aware of the functions of the legislature. As I speak with you, even the elite, some of them don’t know the functions of the legislature, because if you read the comment some people make about the National Assembly, you’ll be shocked because it is coming from the people that you least expect. We’re not saying that we’re 100 percent good. We’re also human beings, we have our own shortcomings, but I must tell you that we’re doing it because we’re an arm of government. Why didn’t people ask that there was hunger in the land, so the executive arm shouldn’t have done their own celebration of May 29? It is only when the legislature is about to do something that the entire country would say, don’t do this. DT: Would you in all honesty say that the House handled the budget padding allegations in national interest?
To the best of my knowledge, the legislature is one arm of government that the constitution gives powers to make its own rules of operations. These rules must guide our conduct in the National Assembly, including discipline. For us, I would say we handled this matter very well. My only point of concern is that the media is not happy. We’re all aware that Jibrin went out of his way and deposited petitions at other agencies outside the National Assembly. He should know that we have a committee here that handles such matters. Because of the fact that the man kept saying that he would not get justice, that wasn’t enough for him to go outside the House. It’s like when you have an issue with somebody and decide to go to court, then you say you won’t get justice in the court in the first instance, then you just jump to an appeal court. It’s not possible. This National Assembly accommodates civil society organizations that monitor our activities. If the man isn’t given fair hearing, even among our colleagues who will come to his aid? The mere fact that he didn’t believe in the institution he was working with, there’s no way we could help. If you ask us to investigate Dogara, you have to submit petition here for that. You can’t ask us to go to EFCC or ICPC. We have taken the right decision.
DT: The president presented two bills on anti-corruption before the House for over a year now, but you haven’t touched them, why?
We have said that we would expedite action on them. They’re not the only important bills before the National Assembly. Don’t forget that all bills are equally important, but for you to work on certain bills, you require caution, experts etc. For example, the issue of PIB has been in the National Assembly for long, but we didn’t want to make any mistake. If you make any mistake, instead of solving problems, you’ll create more. It’s not just about coming out with a law very fast.
DT: Would you say that you have cut cost of governance with the purchase of over N3.6bn worth of vehicles and another N35m for you anniversary?
On the issue of cars, as I talk to you, I don’t have a car now. These cars are in piecemeal. It’s only in this National Assembly that two years into our tenure, some of us still don’t have official cars when a member of a state House of Assembly has it from day one. Ministers, commissioners, local government chairmen all have vehicles. But when it comes to the National Assembly, it becomes an issue. This is what we want the media to tell Nigerians. As far as people are concerned, all the other government officials can have pools of vehicles, but members of the National Assembly shouldn’t have. Let me put it on record that even if the National Assembly, you’re only taking away less than two percent of the national budget, and you wouldn’t have seen anything. People kept money in their houses, and if you calculate all that, it’s twice the budget of the National Assembly, but nobody is looking at all that.
DT: In specific terms, what measures would you say the House has taken to cut costs?
Before now, the budget of the National Assembly used to be N150bn, but it was later cut to N120bn, and when the current government came, it became N115bn. It is in this current budget that we decided to take it back to N125bn. Even if we take it back to N150bn, we’re still undervaluing the whole thing because what N150bn could do for you five years ago, it can’t do for you now. I’m chairing an ad-hoc committee and I had cause to complain that if you refuse to appear and I have to set up another time, it requires another letter, publish it in national dailies and entertain people, which require money.
DT: INEC just registered additional five political parties, is there need for them?
For me as a politician, I wouldn’t like this number. This is not the position of the House. Each time you go to the ballot box, you’ll see long the ballot paper. But you know this is democracy, you can’t shut people out. But it’s not about INEC. Nigerians should think. Whatever ideology you have, there’s a political party that has such ideology. But we’re thinking of bring independent candidates, so Nigerians shouldn’t worry, because all these things will be taken care of.
DT: What do we expect in the next two years?
On the issue of cars, as I talk to you, I don’t have a car now. These cars are in piecemeal. It’s only in this National Assembly that two years into our tenure, some of us still don’t have official cars when a member of a state House of Assembly has it from day one. Ministers, commissioners, local government chairmen all have vehicles. But when it comes to the National Assembly, it becomes an issue. This is what we want the media to tell Nigerians.
I believe that our activities in the next two years will be easy for most of us new members because we have now gained experience. We will be moving forward. The only thing I will appeal from Nigerians is patience.