NASS Charged On Issues Of Development

The Coordinator of Patriotic Alliance of Nigeria (PAN) Mr Maxi Okwu, has called on the National Assembly to give more attention to issues of development.

Okwu made the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja. 

The two houses of the National Assembly, according to Okwu, “ for the past couple of weeks, had wasted scarce legislative time, engaged in shadow boxing”.

“We call on the National Assembly to turn its attention to more useful endeavours and stop wasting taxpayers’ money.

“We are not getting value for money from the present crop of legislators. For over trillions expended on pay, privileges and protocol, what do we get in return? Just a fistful of laws,’’ Okwu said.

He decried the unnecessary attention given to the issue of annual grant to political parties, adding that legislative sessions had been wasted on it.

On the issue of number of political parties to be allowed within the country, Okwu quoted Section 40 chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution dealing with fundamental rights.

“Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interests,’’ he added.

He emphasised that “in any liberal democracy you do not constrict the political space by placing a cap on the number of political parties’’.