Reps in self appraisal at Minna retreat
From John-Abba Ogbodo, Abuja
THE recent retreat by the House of Representatives would remain as one of its most defining moments since the inception of the present democratic dispensation. Besides providing a forum for sharpening the legislative skills of members, the House subjected itself to surgery.
The 360 members of the House of Representatives were grouped into three centres - Bauchi (Bauchi State), Minna (Niger State), and Osogbo (Osun State). In the three centres, attention was focused on the ills impeding the House in discharging its statutory law making functions.
The lawmakers discussed the relationship between the executive and the legislature, parliamentary procedure, the democratic role of civil society and political parities, and the committee system. Potency of motions and the issue of appropriation were equally examined. The areas of discussion were handled by experts from diverse backgrounds.
At the auditorium of the Abdulsalami Abubakar Youth Centre, Minna, the issue of the composition of standing and ad hoc committees attracted intense debate. However, the discussion was timely. The 71 standing committees of the House are on the verge of being dissolved. Before the retreat, the issue had generated anxiety among those chairmen and deputy chairmen likely to be dropped.
The former deputy speaker of the House, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, who chaired the session, had a hectic time. Almost all the 120 members of the House of Representatives at the centre felt concerned and wanted to contribute to the debate.
Nwuche cautioned that the retreat should be used as an opportunity to reflect on the activities of the House in the past year, and project on the way forward. He reminded the legislators that since politics is dynamic, that they should try to be in tune with the changing tides. Amid cheers of "the Tiger, the Tiger," Nwuche urged the lawmakers to purge themselves of bias so that they could, eventually go back to the House as a united family.
As order was restored, the federal legislators drew the attention of the Speaker of the House, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, and the leader, Abdul Ningi to the anomalous situation in the committees.
They complained that some committee chairmen had arrogated too much power to themselves to the discomfiture of members.
Masari admitted that he was aware of the inordinate ambition and the overzealousness of some chairmen, but lamented that the situation had degenerated to that level because some principal officers have sympathy for some committee chairmen.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Idris Kuta, who was a guest lecturer, condemned the proliferation of committees. He said that in order for the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to stabilise their positions, they resorted to widening their support base by appointing more chairmen and deputy chairmen. Kuta explained that when he served as deputy speaker in the Second Republic, the House had only 27 committees as against the present 71.
The members campaigned for an amendment of the House Standing Order to enable committee members elect their chairmen, determine their tenure, and remove them especially in a case of proven misconduct.
On the often acrimonious relationship between the executive and the legislature, the lawmakers sought explanation on the demarcation between compromise and recalcitrance. President Olusegun Obasanjo provoked a discussion on the matter in his speech at the opening ceremony when he noted that the House had become a willing partner and a working companion. This was unlike what obtained under the leadership of Alhaji Ghali Umar Na'Abba.
"As a matter of fact, I believe that we have a House that is becoming a willing partner and a working companion of a decidedly reformist executive that is persistent without imprudence and generous without indulgence. Let us continue to work together in the area of transparency, accountability, eradication of corruption, individual and collective integrity and probity," Obasanjo stated.
The President pointed out that instead of compromise, which some people use to describe the present relationship between the executive and legislature, he would prefer to call it concord.
Dr. Mohammed Wader, a guest lecturer from the Department of Political Science, University of Abuja, noted that even the principle of separation of powers, envisaged conflicts between the executive and the legislature. He said that this explains the powers of the executive to veto bills as well the powers of the legislature to override executive veto as provided in the 1999 Constitution. The don called for effective liaison between both arms of government and an improvement in communication on either side.
After an assessment of the performances of the standing committees, it was said that the committee system as presently practised could only bring the House to disrepute. Following observations raised by members on the dictatorial tendencies of some chairmen, it was agreed that an urgent surgical operations be carried out so as to refocus the committees. The appointment of wrong persons into chairmanship positions and committee secretaries, most of whom are not knowledgeable in the operations of the committees, was faulted.
It was noted that the civil society has not sustained its role in a democratic setting especially as it relates to monitoring the actions of the executive and the National Assembly.
Assessing the lawmaking performance of the House, former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Assissi Asobie, pointed out that most of the motions passed by the National Assembly were hanging motions good for the wastebasket. He therefore, urged the lawmakers to ensure that motions passed are implemented by the executive.
Most of the guest lecturers said that the recurring altercations between the executive and the legislature have been the bane of appropriation bill. They pointed that the legislature should not allow itself to be brow beaten, since it has constitutional backing in its oversight functions. The House, they said must ensure that budget proposals sent to the National Association were critically examined so that lawmakers do not become mere rubber stamps on budget matters.
Among the problems the lawmakers encounter is parliamentary procedure. This problem is particularly evident among newly elected lawmakers who do not have adequate orientation to acquaint them with parliamentary procedure. At inception, some of them could not discern a motion from a bill or point of order from ordinary contribution. This has meant that most of the newcomers, who are in the majority, had remained passive. Ita Enang, chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, regarded as the engine room of the House proceedings lectured the lawmakers on parliamentary procedure.
Abike Dabiri, chairman of the Committee on Public Affairs, hailed the manner the retreat was conducted. She said the members admitted that it was a worthy venture because "everyone of us learnt something." She said that the benefits would be manifest when members returned to the chamber.
Masari in his welcome address explained the objective of the retreat. "The interaction is designed to avail the members of the House of an opportunity to reflect on their constitutional duties and responsibilities in a relaxed, and non-formal atmosphere," he stated. He noted that at the forum, lawmakers would exchange ideas on their roles and performances, with a view to identifying areas of success and constraints.
The sense of fulfilment showed by the participants at the retreat was palpable. As it turned out, it became an opportunity for the members to purge themselves of pent up disenchantment and recharge their legislative batteries.
