Will National Assembly deliver on its 2018 Agenda?

“Going into the new year, I can only wish each and every one of us the best as we prepare for the task ahead. It is a crucial year. As you all know, this, in all probability, will be the last productive year before we go into the 2019 electioneering period. Not only is there a need to up the ante in terms of productivity, it is important we keep our eyes on the big picture. Let us not be caught in the political fray before due season. To each and everything under the sun, its own time. This is Nigeria’s time. Let us devote ourselves to her service. It is therefore imperative that we speed up consideration on the various bills on which legislative work remains outstanding – particularly economic bills. Calling for similar attention are the other parts of the Petroleum Industry Bill related bills still to be passed, namely: the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill.”

-          Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in his welcome address for the legislative year 2018 on January 16.

The National Assembly resumed from its end-of-year recess last week Tuesday, January 16, 2018. On that day the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Yakubu Dogara addressed their members on their agenda for 2018. Last Wednesday, I was on the set of Nigeria Today, an evening current affairs programme of Nigeria Television Authority with the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alhassan Ado Garba Doguwa to review the legislative agenda for the year.

In a democracy, the importance and indeed the preeminent position of the legislature cannot be overemphasized. Apart from making laws, the legislative assembly also performs oversight functions as well as appropriate money for all the arms as well as ministries, departments and agencies of government. The legislature also confirms certain key appointments of government. No matter the noble intentions of the executive arm led by the President at the federal level, governors at the state and chairmen at the local government level, without the support of the legislative arm, such intentions may not be realized.

The All Progressives Congress is in the third out of its four year term and given the fact that the next general elections are scheduled for the first quarter of 2019, effectively there will be a lot of politicking in this new year.  However, I enjoined our federal lawmakers to remember the words of the Senate President cited above. A lot of Nigerians expect so much from our lawmakers at all levels. There are a number of issues they need to take on promptly in order to ensure delivery of dividends of democracy.

It is imperative for National Assembly to pass the 2018 budget presented to them by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 7, 2018. Late passage of the budget has been a major albatross on previous and present administrations. Why is it that the average time our national appropriation bills get passed has been April? The last budget was actually signed into law on June 12, 2017. This has continued to cause economic dislocations and non-completion of many infrastructural projects.  There was high optimism that our financial year will be from January to December starting from 2018 but this is not going to happen due to late presentation of the estimates as well as non-cooperation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in coming forward for budget defence. Much as I want quick passage of the 2018 budget, it must however be stripped of all paddings. Two budget tracking civil society organisations viz. BudgIT and Centre for Social Justice have both clinically examined the budget and published some wasteful and frivolous expenditure items running into several billions of Naira. NASS should remove or reduce those bogus estimates and pass a budget that is implementable and will ensure value-for-money.

There is also the lingering issue of constitutional and electoral act amendments. While the constitutional amendment is broader in scope than the electoral reform issues in the legal framework, it is imperative for our lawmakers to expedite actions on the passage of a new or revised framework for elections in Nigeria. A lot of people are of the opinion that our problem is majorly that of leadership deficit; to correct this anomaly it is urgent and important for both the constitutional and electoral act amendments to be wrapped up in good time ahead of the next polls. If these exercises are concluded latest by February 2018, this, being a year before the next general polls, will give ample time for election stakeholders such as the election management bodies, the security agencies, the political parties, the civil society organisations working in the area of elections, the media and the electorate to plan and mobilise resources to effectively play their roles towards ensuring credible and peaceful elections.  

It is heartwarming that last Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill which Senate previously passed in May 2017. Now that the two chambers have passed same version of the bill, it should be expeditiously transmitted to the president for assent. Meanwhile, the outstanding two bills in this cornucopia known as Petroleum Industry Bill (that is the Petroleum Industry Fiscal Bill and the Petroleum Host Community Bill) should equally be quickly passed and sent to president for assent. For those who may not know, the PIB has been in the National Assembly since 1999. Now, this bill is so important to the country that it holds the solution to the problem of perennial fuel scarcity currently being experienced across the country as well as will enhance transparency and accountability in the opaque and oily oil sector.  

I also do expect NASS to pass laws that will enhance national security particularly the one that will lay to rest the perennial herdsmen and farmers conflict that have wrecked many lives and property. For instance, if the executive is reluctant to sponsor law prohibiting open grazing, such bill could come as a private member bill. NASS can also ensure that our security agencies are well resourced to perform their constitutional and statutory function of maintenance of law and order. I do hope that laws that will also strengthen ‘ease of doing business’  will be passed so that the needed inflow of foreign direct investment can be realised as well as upliftment of small and medium scale enterprises. 

On a final note, lawmaking alone will not bring about good governance or democracy dividends. Each arm and tier of government must play their roles nobly. Proper and professional oversight of the MDAs is important just as robust and cordial working relationship must exist among the two chambers of the National Assembly as well as the executive and judicial arms of government.