* Real theft in Nigeria is by the executive — not
legislature
Chidi Odinkalu, former chairman of the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC), says the “real theft” ongoing in the country is
in the executive, not in the parliament.
In an interview with PUNCH, the human rights activist said the
issue of reducing the number of federal lawmakers has been blown
out of proportion, adding that cutting the cost of governance
should begin in the executive arm.
“I think we are fixating too much on symptoms and not causes. Do
I think Nigerians are over-represented? No. Do I necessarily think
that 360 representatives are too many for Nigerians? No. It all
depends on how we want the system to run.
“The national assembly surely has to make an effort to show it
cares about the people and to reduce appearances of conspicuous
consumption by its members. That is important. And legislators all
over the country should.
“But the real theft in the country happens not in the
parliaments but in the executive and if we are going to make
progress in reducing the cost of governance; that is where I
believe we should begin.
“One more thing: citizens also have to take some responsibility.
It is okay for us to ask legislators to cut their costs. But we
should also cut the demands and expectation we have of them as
Father Christmases.”
Odinkalu added that it was not proper for President Muhammadu
Buhari to carry out official duties such as his recent assent to
the bill amending the deep off-shore act.
He said: “While he has been on the private visit, the Presidency
has been off-shored. He has assented to the Deep Off-shore Act, in
London.
“His chief of staff took the bill to him there to assent to,
which begs the question how private is this private visit. If you
recall, in the final days of late President Umaru Yar’Adua, the
attorney-general then, Michael Aondakaa, told us that the president
could rule from anywhere.
“It was in response to that that the national assembly amended
the constitution requiring the president to hand-over to his deputy
in these kinds of circumstances.”
He, however, added that such action of the president is not
surprising “with the way they have been treating the vice-president
recently.”
“Let’s be honest, did you realistically expect them to comply
with the constitution on this matter? Essentially, these folks find
the constitution worse than inconvenient,” he said.
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