Lawmaker Wants Financial Autonomy for N/Assembly
From Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Member of the House of Representatives representing Darazo/Ganjuwa federal constituency in Bauchi State, Hon. Muhammed Labaran has sought financial autonomy for the nation's legislature in order for it to effectively perform its statutory functions to the nation.
Labaran, who is a member of the House of Representatives Committees on Appropriation in an interview with our correspondent bemoaned the fate of the nation's legislature, saying that paucity of funds was crippling its effectiveness in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities to the citizenry and the nation in general.
While lamenting the National Assembly's lack of financial independence and capacity to discharge its legislative duties, Labaran pointed out that both the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly were working hard to ensure financial autonomy for the nation's legislature.
According to him, "it is very worrisome that the Legislature which is the first arm of government is undoubtedly the weakest and the most misunderstood yet the most grossly underfunded, among the three tiers of government in the country".
On the fight against corruption in the country, Labaran, also a member of the House Committee on Corruption expressed regret that the report card of Nigeria, after 44 years of its chequered existence is a rapidly failing state in the stronghold of pervasive corruption against which there was no sincere offensive.
The lawmaker, who pointed out that the fight against corruption was a collective one, despite the various polices put on ground by the Federal Government to fight the scourge said, the campaign against the "disease" should start from individual homes of all Nigerians.
He, however, noted that efforts by the Federal Government to reduce the incidents of corruption and other vices in all the sectors of the economy have failed due to the failure of the political class to set standard in policy formulation to guide in the governance of the country.
Labaran opined that "growth and development in all the sectors of the nation's economy can only take place in an atmosphere of transparency, integrity, fairness and justice and all leaders in all tiers of government, organizations in both public and private sectors must put in place minimum standards and stable policies in the administration of the country".
He added that such policies and standards, when pursued vigorously would reduce the incidence of corruption, explaining that the House committee had evolved measures to manage the process aimed at fighting corruption headlong.
The lawmaker noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) -led government had evolved a clearly defined economic programme, which will enable it to pursue policies that would create employment, investment and secure lives and property of Nigerians.
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