By Carl Umegboro
THE upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate, has been treating Nigerians to drama in the midst of economic challenges adversely affecting the society to the extent that many people that never begged in life have been forcefully bowed by pressures to become beggars. The Senate, by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, is replicated after the American arrangement, to exist side by side with the Federal House of Representatives in a bicameral legislature.
The overall idea is to facilitate quality legislation for the welfare of the citizenry, particularly the common man. Incidentally, the objective of the institution has been defeated. Sadly, the huge allocations in yearly national budgets to the legislative arm have continued to mercilessly drain the economy. The senators are kept at ease, just for marking attendances and majorly saying two things: ‘Yeah’ and ‘Nay’.
Following the huge allowances allocated to lawmakers, their quests to occupy the position have become subjected to do-or-die politics. The legislative chambers should be for serious business and this can only be actualised when proficient and skilled persons occupy the seats, instead of phalanges with egoistic and clandestine tendencies.
The concentration of the Senate in the past two weeks on the attire of the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd), despite the over-bloated allowances allocated to themselves, leaves much to be desired. Nigerians expect to see profound bills passed by the National Assembly to aid the service delivery of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for speedy meaningful impact on the common man on the streets.
Even when crude oil prices which Nigeria depends on for revenue crashed beyond the benchmark, the lawmakers were still padding and manipulating the budget at the detriment of the common man they are supposed to represent. The question begging for answers from these distinguished senators and honourable members at the lower chamber are: of what value is the wearing of a uniform by a retired Colonel that is on a mere political appointment to head the Nigerian Customs Service to the achievement set objectives, and the nation, at these trying times? Who will pay the sitting allowances of the senators during the hours wasted on the matter of the Custom’s CG not appearing in Custom’s uniform, which is to make a mockery of a Comptroller-General in a uniform with no rank? How many people-oriented bills have been enacted since the convocation of this 8th Republic? There are so many other questions.
As believed in some quarters that the uniform drama is a script designed and sponsored by some aggrieved senior officials in the Nigerian Customs Service who feel shortchanged over the appointment of an outsider to head the agency against their turn, such cannot be overruled on account of the enormous energies devoted to this aimless supremacy fight. Without a doubt, the corruption which has been triumphing in the Nigerian Customs Service for many years makes it expedient for some drastic actions to be taken. It is no politics to state that a state of emergency is long overdue in the agency.
On the other hand, the state of the nation ought to be of more serious concern to the lawmakers, instead of pursuing these self-indulgent and politically-motivated goals. By now, one expects that luxurious cars imported and used in the country by the affluent class ought to have been subjected to special tax regimes as done in America and other developed and developing nations. One also expects that by now, a bill would be in progress towards scrapping any of the two legislative arms to make the legislature more efficient. One equally expects that by now, a bill that would prohibit government officials from enrolling their children and wards in schools abroad would have been passed, so that schools in the country will be subjected to genuine state of emergencies.
Ditto in the health sector, which would proscribe all government officials, elected and appointed, from seeking medical treatment abroad, except in exceptional cases. Above all, one expects that out of necessity, vis-à-vis the economic situation in the country, the remuneration of certain public servants, particularly the jumbo allowances payable to senators and members of the House of Representatives, ought to have been reviewed to rensemble the present wobbly economy.
Admittedly, by the ambiguous oversight functions vested in the National Assembly by the Nigerian Constitution, the body could drift into a fight as cheap as an agency boss wearing the uniform of the agency, under the cloak of patriotism. However, by the provisions of the Customs & Excise Management Act (CEMA) 2011 as amended, such issue bordering on the compulsory appearing of its administrative head in official uniform is alien, hence baseless and a no-go area for the Senate to endlessly pursue except its rule of law is dependent on wishful thinking.
Democracy is characteristically a government based on laid down rules. In other words, while the oversight functions could allow the red chamber to issue directives extravagantly to all MDAs (ministries, departments and agencies), the respective enabling Acts like CEMA which specifically guides and determines the management and operations of the agency, will reduce such directives and threats ultra vires, thus, null and void. Overall, the legislative arm must qualitatively be up and doing with know-how on its core responsibilities, instead of prioritising politics and its gimmicks at the expense of the people.
Umegboro is a public affairs analyst and publisher