By Ayodele Fagbohun

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A cross section of Nigerians is non-phased that no sooner the general elections into National Assembly (NA) were concluded regardless of those aggrieved in the various elections tribunal or court for redress, than the member-designates are  jockeying for the two main principal offices, the president and speaker in the 10th National scheduled for inauguration come June 2023.

It is despicable and pedestrian, to say the least the way and manner some newly elected lawmakers are scheming even without atom of principle on parliamentary etiquette for juicy and exalted positions without taking a pause to reflect soberly or seriously on the present mind of the nation.

This hard and precious time calls for more restraint and prudence in the incoming 10th National Assembly in the management of public finance in the conduct of public business nay on politics which in the first place be a selfless national sacrifice and service to motherland.

It is no longer business as usual in frittering away or squandering the enormous but pretty scarce national wealth and resources on the easy pleasure, frivolity and greed of our parliamentarians across the nation.

Habal what ails or troubles the new National Assembly members yet to take the oath of office now in undue haste to be stampeded into hysterical and untoward action based purely not on national interest but on self interest, ego and personal aggrandizement to hang on o power sine die.

It is a source of great concern and consternation that member designates across-the-board don’t take time for retreat away from the maddening crowd for spiritual stock taking and necessary brainstorming on the modus operandi to chart different, innovative and pragmatic way forward in the impending 10th NA distinct from the previous experiments of NA riddled with venality, profligacy, profiteering and licentiousness which was unprecedented in the annals of parliamentarianism, the world over.

For Nigerian lawmakers in the N.A are notoriously widely known as the best paid in even most advanced and prosperous democracies when the violent living and incredibly rich opulent life style of the privileged few lawmakers are juxtaposed with the poverty stricken Nigerian populace.

It is disheartening  and unfortunate that some National Assembly members are never pricked by conscience to make amends and right the wrongs in the decadent society.

They never evince any sense of shame, remorse and scruples to do the needful, change the awful narratives to correct the gross imbalance in the economy with a view to bridging the yawning gap between the haves and haves not the rich and the poor in the highly stratified and ever discontented Nigerian society.

In the spirit of new Nigeria to nip in the bad the pent-up emotions and violent revolution likely to burst open as a result of iniquitous and unequal distribution of national wealth amongst the restive populace.

It is imperative that the 10th NA should be favourably disposed to curtailing if not totally eradicating the reckless pillage, rip off and rodomontade illicit demeanour of our brazen, frivolous and unconscionable political office holders in perpetuity hold the nation captive economically.

There is urgent need for a paradigm shift to the letters and spirit of Nigerian constitution as amended in the republican constitution of 1963.

The National Assembly members are primarily assigned to make or enact laws for the good of the country and be good ambassadors to their constituents full stop.

The National Assembly (NA) is not mandated by either law or convention to either or diplomatically usurp executive functions or constitute as sheer bottlenecks to the smoother running of the machinery of good governance via allocation and subtle diversion of public purse to fund sinecurism and political expediency which will only impact negatively on the economy.

The reckless award of a lion chunk of the country’s scarce resources on the comfort, debauchery and dissolute living of a few elite in the NA in the spirit of “baboon de work; monkey de chop” is unthinkable and not borne out of the fear of God.

I make bold to reiterate that the increasingly poor standard of living and government’s foot dragging to improve upon the abject condition of the toiling workforce is an ominous omen and prognosis of revolution either peaceful or otherwise which is imminent in this country.

It was a disservice to the nation that some law makers constituted themselves as lords of the manor some lawmakers are easily power drunk, go berserk and finally end up in ignominy.

The ugly situation must not repent itself in the 10th N.A and beyond.

Preparatory to the incoming new political dispensation, the National Assembly which is the legislature and the Executive must work in close and harmonious collaboration with each other to truly and effectively with speed, to serve the welfare of the people, to usher in fresh new lease of life in the country.

The major responsibility of the Executive is to govern and administer the country for the benefit of the people therein. It must initiate policies and programmes and mobilise all means at its commend for implementation and execution.

Legislature i.e. NA is to give legally binding effect and authority to the policies and programmes of the Executive in the best interests of the people.

In the discharge of its duties, if the legislature exceeds its bounds or jurisdiction may be called upon to adjudicate.

This is the high-water mark and beauty of separation of power fashioned after the American presidential system of government which we (Nigerians) are poor imitators or copy cats.

Under no circumstance again should our National Assembly (NA) arrogate naked display of power strange to Nigerian constitution, ostentatious living, duplicity and duplication of functions as to compete unfavourably with the Executive to derail the course of good governance and thereby heat the polity.

On this connection, according to the late sage, Obafemi Awolowo, one time frontline and eminent politician described tenacity of office-that is, overpowering and obsessive desire on the part of our political office holders to stick infernally and definitely to political offices by all means, fair or foul.

This virus of tenacity which often rears its ugly and prevalent among Nigerian politicians addicted to certain nomenclatures which hold them captive, do or die to political office must be extirpated in the forthcoming 10th N.A.

The bogus title “senate president” should be jettisoned or dropped to leader of the senate as obtains in the US National Assembly.

The bizarre idea of having two presidents within the country that is, one in the NA and another title for the whole nation is sheer commonly, anachronism, misnomer capable of trigger off lewd and unhealthy rivalries among mean minds seeking high sounding fun loving nomenclatures of no consequence to the material well being and welfare of the citizenry.

Besides, the nebulous, otiose and effete title is sheer braggart, frivolous and unprecedented.

By all means, 10th N.A should revert to leader of the house to conform to global best practices of unalloyed service with humility, commitment and fiscal discipline to purposeful governance in the nooks and crannies of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.