Shehu Sani, a former member who served in the Kaduna Central senatorial district, has spoken out against the National Assembly’s activities undermining its influence.
Sani made the recommendation during his remarks at the National Assembly Legislative Aides’ Forum, or NASSLAF, Week opening in Abuja on Tuesday.
The pro-democracy advocate also exhorted lawmakers to fulfill their duties with selflessness for the benefit of the nation.
He cautions that a submissive posture by the legislature can hinder good government and threaten democracy, saying that it is not in the nation’s best interests.
Sani praised the Eighth Assembly for resisting the executive’s overreach and compared it to the present National Assembly. The Eighth Assembly is led by Sen. Bukola Saraki.
The National Assembly’s authority seemed to be eroding over time, he noted with dismay.
“It was unimaginable for MDA chiefs to disregard our summons during our period. They were aware of how serious our supervision duties were,” he stated.
Sani cautioned that by giving up its independence and undermining democratic checks and balances, the present Assembly ran the risk of turning into a “rubber stamp” for the executive.
For this reason, he warned the MPs not to put their own interests ahead of their constitutional duties.
“Respect is required for this establishment. Should you become stooges, you will lose that respect. The defense of parliamentary independence in our time comes at a price, he remarked.
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Furthermore, the former senator warned that too much cooperation was risky because it may lead to tyranny, claiming that their emphasis on doing the right thing bred icy relations with the government and delayed the approval of measures.
Sani gave examples of MDA leaders publicly confronting MPs while performing oversight duties, which he claimed would not have been accepted by earlier assemblies.
“The Senate President must make sure that executive initiatives and appointment candidates are carefully considered. He said, “This is not a place for automatic approval.”
The parliamentarians’ main responsibility, Sani reminded them, was to serve Nigerians, not the president.
As the backbone of the legislature, Sani also recognized the crucial but frequently disregarded functions of legislative aides, who play a key part in crafting laws and policies that govern the nation.
