What Nigerians Expect From Ninth Assembly

Expectations are high as the ninth National Assembly has been inaugurated to pilot the legislative functions of the country, Nigeria for the next four years.
The ninth Assembly which is presided over by the Senate President, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker of the House of Representatives has been tasked by President Muhammadu Buhari in particular and the people in general to enact laws that meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.
Considering the fact that the two leaders of the National Assembly are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which not only has a commanding lead in both chambers of the Assembly, but is also the political party of President Buhari, the Federal Government, therefore, has no excuse not to discharge its duties to the people.
Majority of members of the new National Assembly belong to the political party APC and this creates room for less opposition.
Election has come and gone, the dust has settled now, it is time for campaign promises to be fulfilled. All politicians that constitute the National Assembly must sheathe their swords in the interest of national peace and unity. We may not all be of the same political affiliation, but we are Nigerians bound by one constitution which they swore to uphold.
For Nigeria as an independent nation to move forward, members of the ninth National Assembly must not rest on their oars; they must persevere until positive changes are actualized in the country.
This time around, Nigerians expect an improvement in the quality of life through simultaneous and seamless passage of bills targeted at the positive development of the nation.
This is not the time to pass bills that are detrimental or unimportant to the country. Bills like increase in car allowance for senators, wardrobe allowance and all such allowances should be kept aside for now.
More emphasis should be placed on improving the living condition of civil servants, corps members and pensioners. Bills concerning developmental projects should be quickly transited from the first reading, through to the second and third readings, until finally assented to by the executive. The law enforcement agencies like the Police, Army, Navy among other forces should also be given top priority.
In the past, budgets were intentionally delayed for selfish reasons. The National Assembly became a tool for self promotion and actualization. The new National Assembly must be aware of its responsibilities through pragmatic and proactive approach in tackling the various constitutional challenges bedeviling the nation.
It is expected that all anomalies evident in the 1999 constitution should be investigated, debated and corrected to ensure that peace, unity, stability and progress thrive in Nigeria. So many sectors of the nation need to be upgraded and revamped. For instance, our teaching hospitals are in very poor shapes. Also, the present state of our institutions of higher learning leaves much to be desired.
It is evident that the ninth National Assembly has a huge task ahead of them to lift Nigerians out of poverty, secure lives and properties, as well as promote the growth of the economy. Nigerians expect a National Assembly that will assist the executive to deliver on its electoral promises to the people, a National Assembly that would effectively carry out their complimentary role in order for government to realise its vision for the nation.
The ninth Assembly must focus on passing critical bills that would turn the nation around for better and impact the lives of citizens significantly. Another task which comes to the minds of many Nigerians is the much-talked about issues for restructuring. All shades of opinion on restructuring across party lines should be considered, harmonised, packaged and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration and implementation.
Nigerians are not expecting a replay of the cantankerous squabbles of the past four years. It is obvious that the task ahead of the ninth National Assembly is multifarious. One is to take a look at our electoral laws and introduce amendments and reforms that would discourage proliferation of political parties. Parties which are no longer pleased with the status quo should be forced by law to regroup into one or two mega parties that can face and chase the old ones out of power. This is when genuine politicians among them will be known because many of them formed those mushroom parties for various reasons other than the desire to govern.
In addition, the responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should be reviewed with a view to increasing the technological content of their delivery to the Nigerian electorate. The legacy left behind by the erstwhile Chairman of the Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega, must be maintained and improved upon. Attention should also be drawn to the area of overlap of INEC’s duties with the responsibilities of other government agencies and commissions in the country, such as the National Population Commission. Also, the fight against corruption should be intensified to give emphasis to the prevention of corruption through institutions that would launch the badly desired anti-corruption spirit into the psyche of businessmen, civil servants and youths. One wonders how many Nigerians know that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a functioning anti-corruption agency?
President Buhari should take bold steps towards ensuring that this agency of government is relevant by law in establishing the basis for a long-term solution to the menace of corruption in Nigeria. Punitive measures for corrupt people, after stripping them naked of their ill-gotten loot, should be intensified without considering party affiliations and sectional, tribal or ethnic sentiments.
According to many Nigerians, the lawmakers are reconvening at a period the masses of this country are battling with acute poverty and penury, as most homes can hardly boast of a meal per day due to rising inflation, collapsed economy and infrastructure. A lot of people have lost their jobs because most industries have stopped manufacturing or are operating at very low capacity. Others have lost their jobs because of epileptic power supply.
The lawmakers are resuming at a period Nigerians have almost lost confidence in the political elite, whose stock-in-trade seems to be empty promises, blatant lies and deceit. In the opinion of many, the lawmakers are reconvening at a period death had become so wanton in the land.
For the APC, members are hopeful for a seamless synergy between the legislative chambers and the executive arm of government. Therefore, many members believe the Senate leadership will facilitate a smooth working relationship with the executive and it (the executive) shall have no “excuse” whatsoever in the delivery of democratic dividends to the electorate.
Prior to his emergence as president of the Senate, Lawan had unveiled his legislative agenda, promising a departure from the usual practices in legislative interventions, while also stressing that he was determined to lead a Senate that would continually seek better governance experience for Nigerians.
However, as much as Nigerians hope for a better senate, there is a sense of resonation on the will among the senators to be altruistic in handling issues of public interest. If the senate places Nigeria’s interest above others, the country will be the better for it.
The nation is at the moment faced with challenging security situation. This is besides the insurgency in the North-East, which has lasted over a decade. The unrestrained attacks by armed bandits on the highway, series of kidnapping for ransom carried out by largely people of same ethnic extraction; all constitute the current security challenge ravaging the nation.
Nigerians today live in fear of themselves. This situation calls for an urgent attention by the authorities and the senate president has said that the insecurity problem in the land was one major problem the ninth Senate would need to collaborate with Mr President and get it resolved.
All of these, among other challenges require the attention of the legislature for lasting solution. The pledge of a synergy for a common goal has, indeed, been described as a welcome development.
At a recent meeting with journalists at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, Lawan said he would redefine the core area of the Senate’s mandate-oversight functions. He assured more on open and transparent oversight functions free of suspicion, to make work of the legislature not only meet the aspirations of the people, but also improve on the quality of life and enhance national development.
Already, two South-East senators have shared their thoughts on what would be their legislative agenda, while in the Senate. For Senator Chimaraoke Nnamani, the people are in for a robust health intervention from the ninth Senate, given the need for health-care for the Nigerian populace. It is a critical area for intervention by the Senate because it forms one of the most important aspects of human development. Every society needs a healthy population to be able to build its economy, infrastructure and a well-organised system.
Apart from this, it is the desire of the upper chamber of the National Assembly to re-activate the South-East Development Bill which was put down by the House of Representatives in the eighth Assembly.
To achieve this will require a great deal of legwork and this, the Enugu-East Senator said he would pursue with all amount of vigour.
Imo-West Senator and immediate past governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, does not agree with anything less than actualizing the passage of the said bill. He opined that the success of the ninth Assembly lies solely in its ability to engage with the executive without, antagonism. This course he said would be pursued for a successful ninth Assembly.
The ninth National Assembly should be ready to share the blames for any failure of governance, just as it is expected of it to take some credit for whatever is achieved between now and 2023.
The activities of the members of the National Assembly should be geared towards engendering a positive change in different sectors of the country and evolving a Nigeria we all can be proud of while alive.

Bethel Toby