ABUJA – The National Secretary, Alliance for Democracy (AD) Mr Rafiu Salau, has kicked against part time legislature, saying Nigerians deserved a legislative organ with full time commitment to the development of the nation.
He made the position of the party known in a statement he issued to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
The statement was in reaction to the adoption of the resolution of the National Conference calling for part time legislature to reduce cost of governance.
Salau submitted that the legislative functions of the assemblies at state and national levels were a full time job.
He said: “Legislation is a full time job. The role of the legislature is beyond legislation, the oversight role makes the duty of the legislature a full time assignment.
“Making the legislative arm of government a part time organ will make what can be achieved in a year to take four years.
“It may become more expensive because the result of the part time performance may not correspond with the cost of running it.”
The AD scribe said that it was possible to reduce the cost of legislation while still maintaining full time legislature
He said that since legislators were experienced people in their various professions, they would accept the call for reduction in the budget of the legislature even if they were operating on full time.
However, in Port Harcourt, an elder statesman Chief Samuel Osuigwe told NAN that part time legislature would guarantee economic and political stability for Nigeria.
Osuigwe said that part time legislation would engender frugality in government expenditure and reposition the nation’s political participation from money making venture to national service.
“It will make politics less attractive; reduce political tension and assassination, even thuggery in the political process.
“Part time legislature is indeed what a growing country like Nigeria needs to consolidate on its march toward economic growth,’’ Osuigwe said.
The elder statesman described the proposal as the only roadmap toward economic the growth of the nation and would effectively tackle corruption.
He said that the present legislative practice was a promoter of corruption, alleging that it was a conduit through which the country’s resources were being siphoned.
Osuigwe, who called on Nigerians to support the proposal, said that it was the beginning of electoral credibility in Nigeria.
According to him, “if much is not attached to elective positions, politicians will not be desperate to rig elections and it makes politics less attractive.’’
The elder statesman explained that electoral fraud was common in Nigeria as a result of the present legislative practice. (NAN)
