The speaker of the House of Representatives, ýRt. Hon Yakubu Dogara, has
warned lawmakers, especially chairmen and deputy chairmen, to shun acts of
corruption in order not to compromise the image and mission of the 8th
Assembly.
The speaker, who sounded this warning yesterday at a retreat organised for
chairmen and deputies of House committees at the National Assembly, also
warned the lawmakers that they cannot come out of such corrupt
fraternisation untainted býecause they are masters of their game.
Dogara warned, “You must not succumb to persons or institutions that will
seek to influence your judgment through corrupt means. If you take bribe
from any person, you will impugn and destroy the integrity of the House as
an institution. You will also scandalise yourself. You will compromise the
image and the mission of the 8th Assembly. I wish to warn that we should
avoid being dragged into the murky waters of corruption because we cannot
beat the swines that specialise in wrestling there, to their own game.
Once you are sucked in there, you are dead in the waters. Corrupt
practices is and will never be part of the Legislative Agenda of the 8th
Assembly!!.
He also charged them to focus on exposing waste, corruption and
inefficiency in the executive by carrying out thorough investigation of
their activities.
“For emphasis, our chairmen and their deputies should lead their various
committees in the war against corruption and graft. Our investigative
activities must be based only on the need to expose corruption,
inefficiency or waste in the execution or administration of Laws within
our legislative competence and in the administration of funds
appropriated by the National Assembly.”
Going further, he stressed the power of the National Assembly to summon
any person to give evidence or as witness during its investigative duties.
He stated, “The Constitution in Section 89 further empowers the National
Assembly to summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence, procure
documents, and issue warrants to compel the attendance of a reluctant
witness. The Committee on Rules and Business must ensure that henceforth
all Resolutions requiring investigative hearing must have a legislative
purpose stated in the Resolution itself, in order to pass judicial
scrutiny, where necessary.”
The speaker emphasised that parliaments are indispensable institutions of
representative democracy with the sole aim to represent the people and
ensure that public policy is informed by citizens’ views and voices and
legislation for the common good that responds to the needs of the
citizens.
He noted, however, that the committees are not meant to weaken the
Executive, but are constitutionally empowered as agents of the House to
prevent misuse and abuse of executive power.
“The objective of activities of committees is not to obstruct but to
scrutinize and identify gaps and errors and correct same through
legislative activities and legislation. Members of the National Assembly
are specifically elected and swore to an Oath of office to check and
balance improper exercise of executive action on behalf of the Nigerian
people”, he stated, adding that change can only be piloted through
legislation.
“Change itself must be regulated, so that our people would not face the
dangers of unregulated change…In this respect, legislative Committees,
as the engine room of our legislative activities, can compliment the
Change efforts of the Executive. The Committees of the House, of which you
are Chairs and Deputy Chairs, must become drivers of the Change process
espoused and expounded by the current administration geared towards
providing physical and economic infrastructure as well as social policies
that would provide opportunities for all Nigerians, especially the poor
and the vulnerable.”