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DO YOU LACK A HEALTHY $3X LIFE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE? WATCH & DOWNLOAD HOT $3X TRENDING V!DEOS HERE.Babafemi Ojudu is a Nigerian senator, who served in the 7th National Assembly. He also served as a special adviser on political matters to one of Nigeria’s Presidents. In this interview, Ojudu, a veteran journalist, speaks with EHIME ALEX on salience issues and why the current National Assembly appears not to be performing its oversight functions ...READ THE FULL STORY FROM SOURCE ...READ THE FULL STORY FROM SOURCE
The ICIR: What do you consider to be the major oversight functions of the National Assembly? Could you highlight these responsibilities?
Ojudu: Well, it has to do with the national budget processes. All of the agencies, ministries and departments of government (MDAs) are supposed to come under the oversight of the National Assembly, including the presidency.
The ICIR: Nigerians have been going through severe hardships for the past year. What should have been done by the National Assembly to ameliorate the suffering?
Ojudu: The first thing would have been to, in the appointment of government officials, ministers and others, to ascertain that those appointed are competent and able to carry out their functions effectively.
If we have appointees who know their onions and are capable of doing their jobs, then when the government comes in place and brings about the budget, the National Assembly should be able to determine what is good for the people and what is not good for the people.
They will ensure that the budget is operated to the maximum and that issues of corruption, and incompetence are eliminated. That in itself would have helped serve the people very well.
Babafemi Ojudu is a Nigerian senator, who served in the 7th National Assembly.
The ICIR: Can we agree that it is the responsibility of the National Assembly to guarantee that accountability and transparency of government activities are maintained to curb misuse of public funds? If so, is the legislature leaving up to this responsibility?
Ojudu: Again, it depends on who you elect. The matter starts with the nomination by the parties for the offices, it then moves to the electorates. Depending on the quality of the people elected, what you get is determined by the qualifications of those elected. If you elect the wrong people, you get the wrong legislation and the wrong oversight functions.
But if you elect very competent persons who are not there to serve personal interests, they will be able to do quite a lot to ensure that the interests of the people are defended and that the people are served both by the executive and judiciary. But if inappropriate people, who are not educated and committed and lack participation, are elected into those positions, then nothing good can come out of it.
The ICIR: How well is the current National Assembly carrying out its role of screening nominees for top government positions?
Ojudu: If you look back, the process of screening was more like a rubber stamp, which for me is not what we termed as a proper screening. Everyone who came in there was shabbily screened and asked to bow and go. I think the process itself has been bastardised. It has now begun as envisaged by those who drafted the constitution that made the provision of screening of the appointees of government.
I think what should be done is to ensure the proper independence of the legislature from the executive. As it stands, the executive can get anything through the legislature as it is constituted now because all of the people elected, most of them are at the beck and call of the executive.
The ICIR: An assessment of the National Assembly could prove that Nigerians have already lost the trust of the legislative. Sometimes you hear the name like rubber-stamp National Assembly. How should the National Assembly rebuild this trust?
Ojudu: Well it cannot [be rebuilt] if they decide to be an appendage of the executive. But the process can start, for example, with the political parties – the process of domination of election to the National Assembly – and the election process itself.
If we have visionary people, independent in their thoughts, and committed to the progress of the country, then they will go there and serve properly. But if people are there to serve their interests, and their interests could be better served if they made themselves an appendage of the president, then we will not see any positive service. That is the way it works.
The ICIR: In the tax reform bills being proposed to the National Assembly, we have seen some sort of drama played out in the chambers, but if it were in the time at the 7th National Assembly, what would you have pushed for, to your members?
Ojudu: Well, it is to properly scrutinise it; and see if it is in the best interest of the country or not. If it is in the best interest of the country and the people of Nigeria, we will look at it and pass it. If it is not in our best interest, we will throw it away. When I was there [in the National Assembly], I was in the opposition party. If such a thing had come, we would meet, participate in our caucuses to discuss it thoroughly and take a common position. After that, we will take the common position on the floor of the National Assembly.
The ICIR: In your personal view as a stakeholder, looking at your background as a journalist and politician, what do you recommend should be done with these bills?
Ojudu: I have not studied it closely and critically. So, it will be unfair of me to say it is a good one or not a good one. I have not had time to but if I have a copy of the draft bills, I will go through it and put it into a text.
The ICIR: When it comes to knowing exactly what the National Assembly members take home in the form of salaries and allowances, there seems to be some sort of secrecy. Why is it so?
DO YOU LACK A HEALTHY $3X LIFE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND MARRIAGE? WATCH & DOWNLOAD HOT $3X TRENDING V!DEOS HERE.Ojudu: It is because the journalists have not done their work. The journalists are positioned to bring out all of these things. Even where they [the information] are not given to them, the law allows them to go to court and demand for it. So, you should blame the journalists for the secrecy surrounding the salaries, allowances and emoluments of the lawmakers in Nigeria..Tap To Read The Full Story Here.
