‘There must be synergy between executive and legislature to achieve good governance’
Ganiyu Johnson is the member representing Oshodi/isolo federal constituency 2 in the National Assembly. He recently spoke to a select group of journalists on some national issues, where he said the ninth Assembly would correct the wrong doing of the previ
Considering the manner the leadership of the National Assembly was elected, there is the perception in some quarters that it would be a stooge of the executive?
There must be synergy if we want to progress in this country. My party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC) having got preference for these people did not mean that they were handpicked. The speaker happened to be the most competent lawmaker in the House. If you had seen the pattern of the election you would also noticed that he was voted for en-mass, even the opposition voted for him. The speaker was a popular candidate. Talking about handpicking, I do not agree. If we want progress in the country, there must be synergy between the executive and the legislature; that is the only way we can develop in this country. Nation building starts from somewhere. If we had made mistakes in the past, this is the time to correct it. We cannot continue to have an executive and legislature that would be at logger heads all the time. If some of the blue prints that the executive wants to drive are frustrated because of executive/ legislature imbroglio, it is the electorate that would suffer and that is why this time around, we would like to get it right.
What is your assessment of the eighth Assembly in terms of independence; some Nigerians say it was the best in recent time?
I don’t agree with that. If it was the best when was the 2019 budget passed? It was passed just before it wound up. The budget was presented in October. There was a lot of friction between the executive and the legislature. The President could not even execute most of his programmes. The ninth Assembly will correct most of the anomalies so that we can move forward.
You were inaugurated for the first term at the lower chamber of the National Assembly; what does it feel like?
It is good to have people from different parts of the federation come together for a single purpose of national development through representation of our various constituencies. We also had the honour of electing our speaker in the person of Femi Gbajabiamila. We hope we would be able to carry out a lot of reforms different from the eighth Assembly, and to also improve on its work. The speaker has assured Nigerians there would be a lot of reforms and we are ready to cooperate with him. I don’t agree with that. If it was the best when was the 2019 budget passed? It was passed just before it winded up. The budget was presented in October. There was a lot of friction between the executive and the legislature. President could not even execute most of his programmes. The ninth Assembly will correct most of the anomalies so that we can move forward.
Some Nigerians are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians in the area of security. What is your view?
There has always been insecurity in this country, during the time of successive governments, Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’ Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, there had always been insecurity. Security is a very sensitive issue. It is not something that can be eradicated overnight. If you go to London today, Heathrow Airport, you would see armed police officers, soldiers around the airport. There is no way you can eliminate insecurity 100 percent, it is an on-going process. Government would try to minimise and curtail the occurrence or menace. You cannot wipe it out totally.
Recently, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, gave the impression that insecurity in the country had overwhelmed him and his troop, Nigerians saw that comment as a way of discouraging the soldiers and also implying he wanted to quit. What can you say to that?
You can always have bad eggs everywhere and they were the ones escalating issues. Even in the Bible, out of the twelve disciples there was one bad egg. Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ, not to talk of an organisation. It is normal. People tend to escalate issues. Our party is in firm control and President also is in firm control. The country is safe and people are free to go about their duties without fear. The Chief of Army Staff has been working to fight insurgency and we have some of the impressive result he and his men have made. We should try to encourage them so they would continue to give their best.
Don’t you think that the President should consider changing the service chiefs?
I have told you that the issue of security is not something anyone can just dabble into. President knows the best, and he knows why he has not deemed it necessary to change them and I cannot even comment on that. He is the commanderin-chief and he knows what is good for the country.
Some Nigerians frowned at the comment of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo that the insecurity situation in the country had been blown out of proportion or exaggerated. Can you comment on that?
I corroborated that when I said that there are bad eggs in every institution and organisation. The insecurity started before Obasanjo, when the military was in power. Insecurity has always been there during previous administrations of Obasanjo, Yar’ Adua and Jonathan and you cannot start escalating it now. It has always been there. We have pockets of insecurity here and there and the government is trying to manage it. It is wrong to go about escalating it; the truth is that it is not as bad as some people are trying to paint it. This administration is trying so much to curtail the activities of insurgents and other criminalities across the country.
What is your view about the Ruga settlement plan, which was eventually suspended by the government?
I would commend the President for having taken the initiative. He has listened to Nigerians and that is good. I think it is something that dialogue can settle. If various regions can talk, they can come to an understanding and probably buy the idea, especially looking at the inherent benefits of the project, which is meant to tackle herders/farmers clashes across the country and create employment. I think with consultation or dialogue we would achieve so much in the country.
People sometimes accuse President Buhari of being sectional, and that is why bandits in a state in the North would demand that government must negotiate with them before they would stop their nefarious activities. What is your take here?
Do you want to believe some of those things? There is freedom of speech and anybody can say anything.
I think it is something that dialogue can settle. If various regions can talk, they can come to an understanding and probably buy the idea, especially looking at the inherent benefits of the project, which is meant to tackle herders/ farmers clashes across the country and create employment