As it remains two days to the end of year 2020, both the Senate and the House of Representatives certainly had issues and events that shaped their legislative businesses in 2020. TAIYE ODEWALE captures some of them.
Though legislative calendar for both chambers runs from June of starting year to June of the following year , but January to December of every year , in one way or the other, can still be used to assess legislative work of the federal lawmakers , since their budget also runs from January to December like other public establishments .
While both chambers as empowered by law considered and passed different bills as well as adopted resolutions from different motions sponsored by members differently, there were many other legislative issues that took place in both chambers simultaneously or almost at the same time with required ripple effects .
One of such issues cum events, were the resolutions taken on March 24 to adjourn for two weeks as a result of rising wave of coronavirus in the country then, which later led to total locked down that made its two weeks recess , went beyond first week of April to first week of May .
Even on resumption of plenary in the first week of May , both chambers chose to sit only on Tuesdays of every week to prevent crowd of people in NASS in line with measures against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, except for the week of their first year anniversary , when they sat on Tuesday ( June 9, 2020 ) down to Thursday ( June 11, 2020) , which marked their first year legislative anniversary , having been inaugurated on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.
However when they resumed from their long recess in September , they reverted to their usual sittings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of every week due to opening up of the public space by both the federal and state governments after the lockdowns.
For the whole of August and September , the issue that dominated discourse at both Chambers at committee levels, was the probe of the now sacked Professor Daniel Pondei led Interim Management Committee ( IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC).
The most dramatic aspect of the alleged N40billion probe of the Pondei led IMC ,was the faked fainting he put up in the House of Representatives , which eventually ended the probe exercise before court of law later sacked him and his team , making President Muhamnadu Buhari to appoint a new team few weeks back .
Constitution Review process is another legislative business being handled simultaneously by both chambers . In the outgoing year, committees of both chambers separately headed by the Deputy President of the Senate , Ovie Omo- Agege and Deputy Speaker , Idris Wase, have already collected memoranda from concerned Nigerians on aspects of the 1999 Constitution , they are seeking amendments.
Specifically, in the Senate for example , one such memoranda submitted ,was the one by the Coalition of Federalists for Good Governance ( CFGG) ,
The CFGG in its memorandum submitted to Constitution Review Committees of both chambers of the National Assembly , listed four items of request by stating thus : “We humbly propose to these committees, alteration of relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended) in addressing items 2 and 5 of your areas of operations .
“On item 2 which dwells on the federal structure and Power Devolution, we want Mining to be moved from the exclusive list to concurrent list , in paving way for each of the 36 states of the federation , to have the constitutional rights of exploring and mining the mineral resources within their domains .
“This to us , will have multiple multiplier effects of stopping illegal mining across the country , enhance the economic fortunes of each of the states and provide the needed jobs for Nigerians at state level .
“Also , Federal Trunk Roads otherwise known as Trunk A roads except the ones linking Nigeria to another country , should be handed over to affected states territorial wise, as largely obtainable during the first republic when engineering designs cum master plans for construction of such roads , were handled by the federal highways unit of the Federal Ministry of Works .
“This to us, will rescue the federal government from the current self – inflicted suffocation is facing as regards fixing of the 35,000 kilometres Trunk A roads across the country.
“On item 45 of the exclusive list which dwells on policing, we strongly advocate for removal of policing from the exclusive list to the concurrent list , in paving way for states that have the financial muscle to establish their own Police Commands .
“Crime largely is local, requiring local solution . Besides , of all federations in the world, it is only Nigeria running a centralized police structure with attendant inefficiency and increasing waves of crimes and criminality across the country .
“The fear of such idea being abused by state governors is a clearly misplaced one because federal police cum DSS operatives will still be on ground across the country to checkmate that .
“Establishment of State Police as obtainable in other federations of the world , would not only help in proactively fighting crime and criminality at the grassroots but also water down the so called ‘federal might ‘ unconstitutionally and undemocratically exhibited by government in power at the centre during general elections and invariably , enhance the credibility of the electoral process.
“Finally, in empowering the states for efficient performance of the afore stated responsibilities if the proposed constitution alteration is effected; we strongly advocate for review of the revenue sharing formula from the lopsided nature it is , presently to 40% for the federal government, 36% for the 36 States and 24 % for the 774 local government councils as against the 52.68%, 26.72% and 20.60% in operation respectively with attendant avoidable wastages at the centre .
“Infact, in ideal federations and as obtainable in Nigeria between 1954 and 1966, it should be the federating units (states) contributing certain percentages of proceeds made from exploration and exploitation of resources in their domains to the centre and not the national cake sharing formula being practised now”.
Strikingly in the outgoing year , one controversy or better put , crisis that that ensued between the executive and the federal lawmakers at both chambers was the Special Public Works Programme , planned for engagement of 1,000 youths per each of the 774 local government.
While the federal lawmakers felt such grassroots oriented programme should be driven by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) with inputs from them as representatives of the people , the executive through the Minister of State for Labour , Festus Keyamo felt otherwise .
The disagreement degenerated to the level of verbal counter punching between both chambers of the National Assembly and the Minister of State for Labour who argued that the federal lawmakers, having approved the N52billion earmarked for the project in the revised 2020 budget, have no direct role to play than just to carry out oversight later during implementation .
Lampooning Keyamo in July over his face-off with members of the National Assembly joint committee on Labour on modalities for implementation of the public works project, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said President Muhammadu Buhari represents the executive arm of government the National Assembly is on the same page with, on various development-driven national projects .
He said the N52billion appropriated project must be implemented by the National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) , as contained in the N10.8trillion revised 2020 budget .
His words: “Only one person defines the executive arm of government. Any other person there aside the Vice President, is either recruited or appointed to support that one person.
“That one person is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So if somebody, an employee or an appointee, out of several others, does something that does not show harmony, it will be unfair and uncharitable to say that the executive arm of government is not on the same page with us.
“The programme is an NDE programme approved by the National Assembly worth N52billion. Secondly, it is within the purview of our committees to demand an explanation on the process and procedure through which this programme will be implemented. So our joint committee was right. The Committee was right to ask the questions.
“We are meant to interrogate the processes through which such programmes will be implemented. Thirdly, the Committee’s resolve that the programme should be suspended until such explanations are provided on how this programme will be implemented. We stand by that.
“I want the press to understand that what the National Assembly is insisting on, is in the national and public interest. It is in the national interest that we know what is going on because we passed the N52billion and somebody should explain to us how the processes of selecting the States Selection Committee is, who are the stakeholders, how are they identified and nominated.
“How are the 1,000 beneficiaries from each Local Government going to be selected, how do we measure the success of the programme, how do we key in to support the executive arm of government to succeed in that respect.
“So there is nothing that this is an indication that the executive and the legislature are not on the same page. But this is a programme that Nigerians must benefit and we are representatives of Nigerians we want complete understanding of how this programme is going to be implemented”.
In fact, in a statement jointly signed by chairmen of committees on Media from both chambers , the federal lawmakers declared that President Muhammadu Buhari may approach the court , if the executive feels slighted by their stoppage order on the programme .
This is even as Senator Ifeanyi Ubah ( YPP Anambra South) , angrily described Festus Keyamo’s outburst during the face-off he had with the NASS committees on Labour, as ‘irritating rascality’.
Keyamo had in the outburst against the federal lawmakers , said: “The background to this was that a couple of days ago.
“They (federal lawmakers), started mounting pressure on me that I must bring the list of those to select the 1000 persons from all the local government to them for them to direct me as to what to do from state to state.
“The chairman insisted I must come to them privately for them to hand over to me certain instructions as to how this program will be, across the country.
“I said no that would be sharing the powers of the President and that I can only be answerable for what I have done by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution.
“They can only investigate the programme , they cannot direct it “.
However aside the face off on public works, the executive and legislature seem to be ending the year harmoniously as regards expeditious consideration and passage of both the 2021 Appropriation Bill and 2020 Finance Bill .
President Buhari submitted N13.08trillion 2021 budget proposals to both session of NASS on Thursday, October 8, 2020 , which was considered jointly and passed last Monday , December 21, 2020 with addition of N505billion , making the total budget size passed now , to be , N13.588trillion .
Both Chambers penultimate Wednesday, also expeditiously honoured request of the President for extension of implemention period of the capital component of the 2020 budget from December 31, 2020 , to March 31, 2021.
With all efforts made by the National Assembly to sustain the ‘ on the same page ‘ relationship with the executive in the outgoing year, despite President Buhari’s refusal to honour its resolutions on security matters; it is in the womb of time for Nigerians to know whether such relationship will persist in the coming year ( 2021) and beyond .
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