Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has advised against undermining the legislature and other critical institutions of democracy, describing such as “a recipe for anarchy.”
He noted that “extra-budgetary expenditures and disregard for legislative resolutions, summons, and their confirmation powers as noticeable factors undermining the efforts of the Nigerian legislatures to ensure good governance, security, peace, and happiness of Nigerians.” Ekweremadu made the lamentation yesterday at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Onicha Uboma, Imo state, where he delivered the 9th Synod lecture of the Anglican Communion, Okigwe South Diocese, entitled “The Legislature and the Search for Peace and Happiness in Nigeria.”
He said: “Although legislative resolutions do not carry the weight of law, they are nevertheless a key medium for stating the position of the Nigerian people on a subject matter through their elected representatives. Sadly, there is a blatant disregard for resolutions of the legislature across all levels of government. “Certain executive appointments need confirmation by the people through their representatives because two good heads are better than one.
Besides, the nation could be poorly run and tilt towards dictatorship if the president or governor has the absolute power to hire and fire.” Continuing, he said: “There is yet an emerging dangerous twist. People now rush to the courts to file processes in order to evade legislative summons. Some also go as far as seeking an order of court restraining the legislature from making laws or investigating a matter before it. “There is separation of powers in our constitution so that one arm of government cannot hinder another from performing its responsibilities. I cannot imagine a situation where the legislature passes a resolution that the courts should not sit or discharge their constitutional functions.
This is a recipe for anarchy.” “It still baffles Nigerians and the world that the hoodlums beat all the security presence at the National Assembly and the vicinity of the Three Arms Zone, disappeared with Senate’s mace, and nothing has been heard about them. We are moving on as if nothing happened. In his remarks, the Bishop of the Diocese, David Onuoha, described Ekweremadu as “a resilient and quality representative worthy of emulation.”