Why Nigeria’s legislature should be part-time

Against the emerging consensus that lawmakers and their executive counterparts take so much from public coffers, with no such corresponding policy outcomes as could justify the squander, which to say the least, borders on criminality, President Buhari and his APC party cannot continue to be oblivious of the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians who elected them into office. They should know by now that one change that will begin a revolution that transforms every structure, arm and organ of government, nay every aspect of Nigeria’s life is to make the Federal law-making process a part-time venture. A part-time legislature will usher in a new order that will detoxicate the system; and institutionalize a culture of service and discipline now lacking in Nigerian politics. This may well rattle some, but the truth is that the business of law making has always been done part-time by legislators. Therefore lawmakers will not find it difficult to adjust to such an arrangement. By this singular act of political courage, the President will be sending a strong signal that he feels the pulse of the nation. This is the kind of change Nigerians have been waiting for!

The cost of governance in Nigeria is too high, with the legislative arm, being a major drain pipe on the country. While the majority of Nigerians wallow in abject poverty, their elected representatives treat themselves so sumptuously that it rankles. This waste in government and the extravagant lifestyle of state actors, especially legislators, constitute such a drain on the treasury that it is impossible for any country carrying such a burden to make progress.

Nigeria’s economy has been groaning under the weight of the cost of governance which consumes over 70% of the budget to the detriment of capital projects. Infrastructure has been neglected while other indices of development are de-emphasized in order to foot the cost of governance. To make matters worse, the legislators have continued to demonstrate insensitivity, self-centeredness and greed in the way they add to the cost of governance by insisting on sumptuous and mouth-watering perquisites for doing so little, at a time when moderation is required. The only reason these lawmakers seek elective offices is the material gain therein; the gluttony and insensitivity illustrated by the sumptuous benefits to which legislators treat themselves at the citizens’ expense is an unbelievable shame. This is not part of the attributes of statesmen; rather it is a huge disservice to the nation.

The National Conference spoke for many Nigerians with its recommendation that legislators at both national and state levels should be part-time. This is evident from the sitting of the legislative houses. Attendance at sittings is noticeably poor as most members go about their personal businesses when they are supposed to be sitting and find time to attend only when it is convenient. Besides, both houses of the National Assembly sit only between Tuesday and Thursday every week. In essence, what is currently referred to as a full-time legislature, is in reality a part-time one, where members merely struggle to beat the minimum attendance prescribed by the law. Sadly enough, the number of times they attend or do not attend does not reflect in their remuneration.

It is unacceptable that Nigerians don’t know the remuneration package of their lawmakers, but even from the little information available, there is nowhere in the world where people who do so little get so much pay. At the beginning of the current legislature, Senate President, Bukola Saraki made bold to publicly announce that the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) would begin a downward review of salaries and allowances of federal lawmakers. Over a year later, Nigerians laboring for breath under bureaucratic overweight, corruption, an economic recession and renewed militancy in the Niger Delta are still waiting for the outcome of the review promised by Saraki.

Although by virtue of Section 32(d) of the 3rd schedule to the 1999 Constitution, it is the responsibility of RMAFC to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including legislators, what obtains in reality is a situation where lawmakers decree for themselves what suits their ego and appetite, such that four per cent of the annual recurrent expenditure for the nation goes to the National Assembly alone, making its members the highest paid legislators in the whole world. They would not even follow constitutional means of determining their entitlements. In their own cause, they are always the judge, particularly where perks of office is involved, in defiance of the principle of natural justice.

In no other nation on earth, has the power of oversight – an adjunct of the principle of checks and balances been transformed into a sword of Damocles in the hands of the legislators, over ministers and heads of parastatals who are harassed to force patronage out of them. Their oversight functions – a crucial part of their legislative duties – has been transformed into avenues for rent-seeking as lawmakers “shake-down” Ministers and Heads of parastatals for bribes during budget and committee hearings. The 7th legislature took this obnoxious practice to asinine levels, and went the distance to settle scores with officials who “refused to play ball.” Nigerian lawmakers have abused their power of oversight that, it has lost integrity and become an object of ridicule and opprobrium in the eyes of Nigerians. Ministers and public officials, their own corruptive tendencies notwithstanding, hardly take the legislative oversight powers seriously or as anything more than cheap blackmail, a reason they are ever so reluctant to honor the invitation of the legislators.

A part-time legislature cannot consume a fraction of what is at present allocated to the legislature under the present arrangement. In the first instance, its members will not be entitled to full-time remuneration and other perks. What will be payable is only the sitting allowance for the hours actually spent doing the peoples’ business. All other bogus and questionable allowances like wardrobe, constituency, furniture and vehicle allowance taken home today by the legislators will become a thing of the past. In addition, the allowance is not obtainable for the mere asking in that it does not attach by virtue of office simpliciter; it must be earned. A member qualifies for allowance only when he or she attends sitting. No longer shall the legislature be seen as an instant source of wealth that it is today, with the result that only serious-minded and patriotic citizens endowed with the spirit of service will find it attractive.

And that will be the beginning of a revolution that will change the nation. Nigerian laws will have focus, depth, substance and rich in content, giving the government and the people a new lease of life. Democracy will acquire a new identity and live up to its billing as government of the people by the people and for the people. Amidst the abject poverty in the land, Nigerians can no longer tolerate a situation where a “turn-by-turn” legislative clique feeds fat on the commonwealth. The matter has today gone past the tolerance threshold. The National Assembly has itself become part of the problem of Nigeria’s democracy and needs total restructuring. And the time is now.