The Senate has warned about the consequences of downgrading its strategic importance in democracy and overall national development, as it would have dire consequences on the wellbeing of the people, being the major foundation on which the entire nation is erected.
Against the backdrop of the renewed call for the nation to drop its current full-time status for the legislature in favour of part-time, the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly, maintained that such a move would be fatal to both democracy and development.
Pushing back against the proposal, also being canvassed by no less a personality than Attahiru Jega, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Yemi Adaramodu, spokesperson of the Senate, said: “If the parliament is on part-time, then it means democracy is on part-time. There is no democracy that derides its parliament and thrives. The Nigerian parliament is not only for lawmaking; we do oversight function. We advocate for our constituents.”
He added: “It will just be bewildering that even out of the three arms of government that we have in Nigeria, it is only the parliament and parliamentarians that our people have access to — like me and others.
“We go home almost every time and we are the ones when they give birth to a new baby, they ask for naming ceremony funds. When they are building a new house, it is from us they ask for assistance.
“So, if the parliament was not there, who do you expect that our constituents would run to? The parliament is not just to sit down at the plenary and make laws alone. And when we make laws, we follow it up. If we are on part-time, can’t the same amount of money be paid to part-time legislators?
“We are in Abuja, is it the national assembly that is giving us housing? Is it the national assembly that is employing domestic staff for us? We are here on our own. We don’t get allowances for drivers. The allowances we get from housing are always deducted from our salaries. They give it once in four years and they deduct it every month.”
