Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has challenged the leaders of the executive and legislative arms of government to shun unnecessary administrative and procedural bottlenecks that could hinder the progress and provision of the people’s welfare during this COVID -19 pandemic.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke after several sessions at the two-day retreat which reviewed the challenges of the relationship and interdependence between both arms of government” a statement by his spokesperson, Laolu Akande, said.

According to the Vice President while closing the Executive-Legislature Retreat at the Presidential Villa, “…every generation of leadership must understand context. Law itself must be interpreted and implemented in context. What is the reality of the context that we operate in today? We all know, our nation has millions of extremely poor people, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened unemployment and poverty.

“We have huge deficits in infrastructure, many children are out of school. If that is our context, we will be callous and irresponsible if we don’t come together, work together to sort out these grave life threatening problems our people have to confront every day. The dogmatic emphasis on procedural niceties is a luxury we cannot afford.”

Read the full statement bellow:
WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS DAILY CHALLENGES CONFRONTING OUR PEOPLE, SAYS OSINBAJO AT CLOSE OF 2-DAY EXECUTIVE-LEGISLATURE RETREAT

As leaders of the executive and legislative arms of government discuss how to interact better as co-equal arms of government, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said collaborating to serve the people at all times must be put above what he described as “procedural niceties”.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke after several sessions at the two-day retreat which reviewed the challenges of the relationship and interdependence between both arms of government.

According to the Vice President while closing the Executive-Legislature Retreat at the Presidential Villa, “…every generation of leadership must understand context. Law itself must be interpreted and implemented in context. What is the reality of the context that we operate in today? We all know, our nation has millions of extremely poor people, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened unemployment and poverty.

“We have huge deficits in infrastructure, many children are out of school. If that is our context, we will be callous and irresponsible if we don’t come together, work together to sort out these grave life threatening problems our people have to confront every day. The dogmatic emphasis on procedural niceties is a luxury we cannot afford.”

Emphasizing the need to always uphold service to the people above procedures that could hinder progress and the delivery of the people’s welfare, the Vice President said “…it is time to focus on what we have been elected or appointed to do. This is the welfare of our people.”

Prof. Osinbajo added that “the law and practice as between parliament and executive is a means to an end not an end to itself. The means must not jeopardize the end. Our people just want food on their table, shelter over their heads, clothing on their bodies, healthcare and education for their children & themselves.”

Making reference to practices in other climes to which Nigeria’s system is often compared to, the Vice President said “…there is no pure practice of the doctrine of separation of powers.”

“The Anglo American traditions that we hold on to in support of the separation of powers are not pure. For example, the US Vice President serves as the president of the Senate and presides over the Senate’s daily proceedings. In the absence of the Vice President, the Senate’s president pro tempore (and others designated by him) presides. As one of the Senate’s constitutional officers, only the Vice President has the authority to cast a tie-breaking vote.

“So, even in the country that has the most advanced jurisprudence on separation of powers, they are wise enough to provide for a concrete bridge between the executive and the legislature.

“In the UK, the convention is that every Minister must be a member of the House of Commons or the House of Lords and every Minister must be a Legislator. So, if that were in Nigeria, all the Ministers would be either Senators or members of the House of Representatives. So, these countries we look up to, recognize that any strict separation of powers will impede development, impede governance and shortchange the people.”

He said an effective system is one where “the good legislator or good minister is not the one who is waving the law, and procedure, and doctrines, it is the one who says the spirit of our Constitution is that we secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.”

Continuing, the Vice President said “the good legislator and minister is the one who will do all in his or her power to serve the needs of our people, even if it means walking the fine lines between the law and reality.”

President Muhammadu Buhari had at the opening of the retreat called for an effective synergy between the various arms of government especially between the executive and legislative arms of governments, in order to deliver good governance, in the interest of the people.

The two-day retreat featured a number of panel discussions with participants drawn from both the private and public sectors, including former federal legislators, serving State governors, and members of the Executive and Legislative arms of the Federal Government.

https://naijmobile.com/let-us-focus-on-what-we-have-been-appointed-to-do-osinbajo-pleads/

Seun
Mynd44
Lalasticlala

Leaders need to remember why we voted for them. Our welfare should come first. The VP is right

I admire Osinbajo a lot. He is resolute to advocating good governance in this administration. Some of our leaders already loose focus, all the promises and mandates they delivered during their campaign came turn out to be mission forgotten or unaccomplished.

Nigerians are still waiting for the change voted for, our leaders need to work together as one to better Nigeria.

Prof Osinbajo has once again championed the call to shun excessive bureaucracies which hinders the progress and delivery of people's welfare and good governance. I hope the legislators will stick to this and prioritise the needs and welfare of the people.

Our leaders starting from local to federal level should see themselves as a tools in the hands of Masses so they must be concerned about the welfare of their people

Having witnessed lots of post covid initiatives being anchored by the VP expecially, I must confess that the FG understand the situation and are ready to make lives better.

I pray God helps them move Nigeria forward.

Talk about a presidential figure that stands out - it is Osinbajo.

He said members of the executive and legislative arms of governments do not have a choice than to collaborate if they are not to fail Nigerians who have given them the opportunity to serve at the high leadership levels they currently occupy. The legislatives & bureacratic bottlenecks born out of ego! �

The vice president is right. Negligence of duty is not allowed.

Never Afraid to say it as it is, if we had just 10 of this man across 10 key sectors in this Country we’d see significant changes!

Peappy49:
Leaders need to remember why we voted for them. Our welfare should come first. The VP is right

As a vice president, he even play the role of the president better than the so called president whose only concern is to wish Donald trump quick recovery....

Raising the bar too high for the next vp

As duly elected officials, Nigerians need to believe in their capacity to effect changes that would impact the nation

That's one rallying cry I really do hope the Legislature will be fair enough to respond to accordingly. It's so obvious VP Yemi Osinbajo means well for this country and wants others in power to share his mentality.

this is one thing they have been doing, coming together and always coming together.

our VP quoting US as a means of reference hope he hasn't forgotten Nigeria has the most out-dated constitution ever made by man kind.

I am yet to see their theme of synergy, what is the synergy geared to? time shall tell.

What most people call extreme poverty is the lack of basic amenities. If that is taken care of then the music changes. Nigeria is not the poorest in the world not even in Africa but that is not an excuse to remain where we are.
We must walk together to achieve a better Nigeria.

Very well said. The VP has stated the obvious, will the legislature be selfless to make it happen? We need all hands on deck to pull this country out of poverty to prosperity

Leaders are meant to serve the people, therefore leaders must make sacrifices to get people out poverty after the effect of covid 19.

The need to always uphold service to the people above procedures that could hinder progress and the delivery of the people’s welfare, the Vice President said “...it is time to focus on what we have been elected or appointed to do. This is the welfare of our people.”

if only the cabals will listen to starboy's message.

Every appointed person was put there for a particular duty it is only right for them to do the work as requested of them. Well said sir

As leaders of the executive and legislative arms of government discuss how to interact better as co-equal arms of government, Osinbajo said collaborating to serve the people at all times must be put above what he described as “procedural niceties”.

it is time to focus on what we have been elected or appointed to do. This is the welfare of our people.” VP Osinbajo. A leader wth the heart of gold. God bless you sir.

Nigerians need to believe in their capacity to effect changes that will impact the nation

The vice president is no longer a fake pastor,I guess his now born again

TheRareGem1:
I admire Osinbajo a lot. He is resolute to advocating good governance in this administration. Some of our leaders already loose focus, all the promises and mandates they delivered during their campaign came turn out to be mission forgotten or unaccomplished.

Tell me another story. Thanks