Geoffrey Ekenna

The conference tagged, 鏑egislative oversight functions: The role of the National Assembly,・drew participants from the upper and lower chambers, as well as some state Houses of Assembly across the country. It was put together by the Policy Analysis and Research Project of the National Assembly.

Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Second Republic, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, set the stage for discussions with a thought-provoking keynote address. He explored the history of the National Assembly, its power of investigation and role in the separation of powers.

Tracing the history of the Nigerian legislature from the colonial days when a legislative council was set up to administer the conquered territories, he said that the council then was an advisory body and its advice was not binding on the Governor. The first constitutionally-organised legislature in Nigeria, he explained, was established in 1922 by the Clifford痴 Constitution. This provided for 46 members, including four elected ones. He pointed out that the Clifford痴, Macpherson痴 and Richard痴 constitutions of 1922, 1951, and 1954 respectively had neither provided for committees nor granted investigative powers to the various legislatures under them.

He said: 典he absence of these two elements in those constitutions was because they were made to serve a parliamentary system of government.・Ume-Ezeoke said that was essentially the difference between the parliamentary and presidential systems of government.

But the 1979 Constitution, which was modelled after that of the United States, saw the need to 兎stablish three independent branches of national government with none having a monopoly of power・ according to him. He said it was in realisation that power should not concentrate on one arm of government that the framers of the constitution recognised the three arms of government ・the executive, legislature and the judiciary. Drawing from his experience, he advised the lawmakers to insist on their oversight functions, not minding on whose toes they stepped as long as they operate within the law.

He said the most important issue was how to balance the National Assembly痴 oversight functions with those of the executive, adding that 妬gnoring such functions was tantamount to abandoning programme implementation to the whims and caprices of unelected officials.・

Ume-Ezeoke, however, submitted that the legislature was not well equipped to carry out its functions. He said lack of adequate security facilities and immunity from arrest and prosecution had constituted obstacles to the Nigerian legislator. He also cited poor staffing and lack of professionals, lack of a good library, and inability to resist intimidation and inducement from forces outside the legislature as other constraints hindering legislative oversight. The former speaker also said, 典he EFCC is encroaching deeper into the jurisdiction of the National Assembly by extending its dragnet to Federal Government ministries which is the exclusive reserve for the legislature.・

A lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, Dr. Abubakar Momoh, who spoke on legislative oversight and constitutional functions, said: 徹versight has been performed as a constitutional function, as an informal act, or as best practice in the process of legislation and governance.・He argued that over the decades, there had been renewed interest in oversight across the world.

Momoh listed what he described as the objectives of oversight to include compliance with the will of parliament by the executive; maintenance of ethical behaviour in the civil service and cost-effectiveness of the use of funds by government. Other objectives, according to him, involved sound internal financial operations; reduction of corruption opportunities and imposition of sanctions for wasteful behaviours.

The Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Joseph Ajiboye, spoke on the concept of accountability, transparency and probity in the management of resources in the public sector, underlining the auditor general痴 relationship with both the executive and legislature.

Speaking on oversight functions in the management of public funds, the Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Mr. Farouk Lawan, argued that 鍍he role of parliament in any polity is to make, revise, amend and repeal laws for the advancement and well-being of the society.・

A senior economist with the World Bank, Greg Nzekwu, who presented a paper on international best practices in legislative oversight explained the oversight function, provided a checklist for legislative oversight and discussed the budget process. Nzekwu also listed legislative oversight tools, their application and legislature痴 contributions to good governance.

Other speakers at the conference were Francesca E. Farmer of the National Democratic Institute and Alhaji Fuseini Baba-Seidu from Ghana.

THE PUNCH, Friday April 28, 2006