10th Senate: Need for Executive to Objectively Evaluate Legislative Interventions
Mon-Charles Egbo canvasses the need for the Executive Arm of government to support necessary legislative interventions by the Senate towards even development of the nation.
Until there is a government that is purposeful in evaluating legislative inputs, especially resolutions, there shall be a deficit of good governance in Nigeria. For example, the latest banditry attack on the Abuja-Kaduna highway and the spate of kidnapping that has overwhelmed the entire Federal Capital Territory could have been averted.
The Senate, in its first quarter, had declared what seemed a state of emergency on the road infrastructure. It developed “a compendium of all the affected Federal roads and erosion sites across the country either awarded but abandoned by contractors or have not been awarded at all, to be forwarded to the Executive Arm for urgent intervention”.
Specifically, there was a provision for “increased security surveillance through deployment of more personnel and use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) such as drones, radars and scanners” on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
Also, it expressed some proactive opinions aimed at making the entire FCT relatively secure.
However because the executive dismisses legislative resolutions as strictly advisory, the opportunities for the above unfortunate incidents were nurtured.
Nevertheless, one attribute of the 10th Senate is its consistency in demonstrating that the legislature is all about the good of the people. It is always deliberate in its obligations. It is not given to drama or grandstanding. Also, it is not interested in the quantity but in the quality of legislation, as long as the overall fulfilment of the citizens is attained.
All these features indeed reflect the legislative agenda upon which Godswill Akpabio was elected the president of the senate.
Having started with the road infrastructure given its crucial nature to national development, the Senate, in the second quarter, deepened its interventions in this regard.
Among others, it took the Bitumen Development Commission of Nigeria (Establishment) bill through a second reading and then initiated another to amend the Federal Highways Act as well as those for establishing the National Roads Fund and Erosion Control Commission respectively. The Senate again effected quick confirmation of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency's Managing Director and board members.
Also while adopting it “as part of Enugu State's submission to the Committee on the Collapse of Road infrastructure in Nigeria”, the Senate urged “the federal government through FERMA to embark on the immediate reconstruction of the collapsed bridge at the Enugu end of the Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway”.
Equally on the FCT, the Senate created additional standing committees for integrated and broad-based interventions towards improving governance.
They included the Committee on Federal Capital Territory Area Council and Auxiliary Matters whose jurisdiction entails a “review of all the laws establishing the structure and administration of the Area Councils in the FCT” and then, the Committee on Federal Capital Territory that focuses on “matters affecting the FCT, planning and development of the new FCT as well as “allocation of lands in the FCT”.
Furthermore, the Senate, while urging “the FCT Minister to revisit the award of contract for the installation of CCTV cameras worth $500 million in and around the FCT” passed the FCT statutory supplementary budget and also introduced a bill to establish the FCT School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Other newly created committees were those on Atomic and Nuclear Energy, Sports Development, Youth and Community Engagements, Solid Mineral Development, Steel Development, Tourism as well as Culture, Art and Creative Economy.
And for productivity, several bills were also proposed.
Then towards economic recovery and sustainable growth, the Senate commenced amendments to the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act, Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation Act, Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and the Price Control Act in addition to two other separate attempts on the Central Bank of Nigeria Act.
Particularly on the opportunities inherent in the emerging blue economy, the Senate expeditiously passed the bill for an Act to Establish the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State while the Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration and the Merchant Shipping Acts amendments gained momentum.
And again, to “enhance sustainable socioeconomic relationships across the country and also promote national integration, and ultimately boost the economy and give a sense of belonging to all, “the Senate activated the mechanism “to ensure that all the four Geopolitical Zones within the Eastern Rail Line Corridor (traversing Port-Harcourt to Maiduguri) benefit from the on-going Railways Standardization and Modernization Programme of the Federal Government”.
It also proposed bills for the establishment of the South-East Development Commission and the North-Central Development Commission.
Intensifying its avowed commitment to protecting the citizenry, the Senate accorded significant attention to the two hydra-headed issues undermining the fight against insecurity namely the absence of coordination among the security agencies and the perception that certain security operatives secretly aid terrorism and banditry.
The basic areas of focus were the incessant “kidnapping for ransom in the North-West geo-political zone”, the spate of “insurgency and terrorism in Niger State”, as well as “the abduction of students of the Federal University, Dutsima, Katsina State”.
Others were the attacks by armed robbers on banks and Oturkpo Police Command in Benue
State and the Christmas Eve massacre of innocent citizens in Mangu and Barkin-Ladi areas of Plateau State which particularly reinforced the seeming culpability of the security operatives.
Extending its interventions to “the Displaced People of Gwer-West, Makurdi and Guma Local Governments” including the communal clashes between Ifon and Ilobu communities in Osun State as well as Ovonum and Ofatura in Cross River State, the Senate holistically investigated the reported “complexities of the security personnel and agencies that were supposed to protect and enforce security in the affected areas, but are harbouring and protecting the criminals”.
In the end, it recommended the development of “a National Policy document outlining the framework for an improved and streamlined synergy and coordination between the various security agencies” both military and paramilitary, and also “permanent presence of soldiers and other security agencies in Niger State to contain the upsurge of insecurity” in addition to challenging “the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies to unravel the mystery of lack of intelligence and alertness on the day of (Oturkpo) invasion”.
Furthermore, the Senate urged the federal government to “address the manpower deficit in the armed forces and the police, and equip them to discharge their functions effectively and efficiently” and also “to urgently address the twin problems of unemployment and poverty since these evils cause insecurity in Nigeria”.
Then specifically, it requested “the federal government to redeem the ten billion naira promise made to the people of Benue State to rebuild the destroyed communities by the immediate past Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in 2018”, in addition to ensuring “quick return of the displaced persons to their ancestral homes and as well provide a sustainable security corridor to all flash points within the affected communities”.
Additionally, it called for the federal government's urgent intervention through the relevant agencies per their respective mandates, particularly by setting up internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in the affected areas and providing necessary support to the communities affected”, such as deploying “security personnel……..and prevent any further escalation of the conflict”.
Nevertheless, one attribute of the 10th Senate is its consistency in demonstrating that the legislature is all about the good of the people. It is always deliberate in its obligations. It is not given to drama or grandstanding. Also, it is not interested in the quantity but in the quality of legislation, as long as the overall fulfilment of the citizens is attained. From the foregoing, it bears repeating that if only the executive could objectively evaluate legislative interventions, integrated and sustainable developments would be guaranteed in Nigeria.