Lawmakers compromise oversight, probes, says ICPC chairman | Nairalaw

The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
Offences Commission (ICPC) Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has accused
members of the National Assembly of compromising their major
constitutional functions of oversight and investigation most
times.

The ICPC chief claims such compromise is done through
commercialization of the legislators’ assignments.

“Oversight function has been commercialised, which is why the
mechanism hasn’t been effective. Legislature is accused of passing
the costs to MDAs and of accepting other forms of gratification,
e.g. foreign trips, phoney seminars, to look the other way,” the
ICPC chairman said in a paper entitled ‘The Role of the Legislature
in the War Against Corruption and Graft’ at the induction course
for the second batch of elected members of the coming 9th
Assembly.

He added: “the legislature has powers of investigation: this was
very well utilised in the past. But many other times, the power is
commercialised.

“You find out that the investigators become compromised in the
process. There’s lacuna on what the legislature should do with the
findings.

“We should avoid a situation where because people are being
investigated, they come to say they want to change the laws to
forestall that. I want to urge the lawmakers not to support
that.

He challenged the lawmakers to make the details of their budget
public.

His words:”since 1999, the Nigerian Legislature has never shown
any seriousness in scrutinising the reports of the auditor general.
NASS Budget rose from N6.9bn in 1999 to N139bn in 2018.

“There’s no country in the world where the legislature budget is
up to one percent.

“There’s no breakdown for the amount. It is opaque and
disproportionate. If you make the details, it may even lead to the
need for more funds. Why would the legislature demand the details
of agencies’ budgets without making its own open?”