By Martin Paul Abuja
Eminent jurist and constitutional lawyer, Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN), has showered encomiums on Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, describing him as an impressive leader and a great hope for leadership in Nigeria. A statement signed Special Adviser (Media & Public Aff airs) of the Speaker, Turaki Adamu Hassan said Nwabueze spoke in Abuja at the public presentation of his new book titled: “Save Our Constitutional Democracy from Emasculation”. He said each time he saw and listens to the Speaker presiding in the House, it gave him hope that” all is not lost in Nigeria. “Having listened to your speeches, comments and the way you preside over the House, I am very impressed. It gives me hope that all is not lost in Nigeria. We still have people who can be entrusted with the affairs of Nigeria”.
On his part, Dogara, noted that for democracy to succeed in Nigeria, politicians, players and stakeholders must study the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to understand the limits of their powers. The Speaker argued that governance would be more effective “when every player in the three arms of government are clear on what powers the Constitution grants to their offices and where those powers end. “To be candid, majority of us do not even know what constitutional democracy means or entails. Some of us in the system have not even studied the Constitution”. Apparently alluding to the ongoing debate over the power of the legislature to input projects in the Appropriation Bill, Dogara said that “there should be proper understanding of the provisions of the Constitution, which was drafted along the lines of that of the United States. “We come to Nigeria, where, for instance, the executive, or the President determines the priority of the nation or of his government, but parliament can say no as representatives of the people”
