Sadly, Nigeria continues to prove a good example of how a country should not conduct its affairs, and government manage its resources, and relate to its people.

The latest scene in this never ending schizophrenic existence of Nigeria, is the recent inuguration of committees by the National Assembly. The memebers of the National Assembly have demonstrated that the normal rules of proportion, decency, and rationality do not seem to apply to them and their vision for Nigeria. If not, how can one explain their inuguration of 139 committies at a time when most countries of the world are downsizing, restructuring and learning to do more with less? This is coming after the furore of exposing the fact that the National Assembly, about 550 people, consumes aproximately 25% of the national recurrent expenditure; a scandal that is unprecidented in the whole history of mankind.

This is yet another unfortunate example in the catalogue of evidence that suggest that Nigeria politicians do not appear to care about noble values, Nigeria and its people, but how to use their position to secure maximum economic advantage for themselves, their familes and friends. It would suggest that in Nigeria, the form is more important than substance. That the government is more interested in giving the impression that it is doing something rather than actually doing the things it is elected to do, portentous that Nigeria may be a kind of 419 state.




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This action of the law makers makes one wonder what the problems are with Nigerian politicians, and if something changes in their mind once they are elected into offices. Is it that Ngerians who are inherently dishonest find themselves in power, or that being in power in Nigeria alters one’s perception of probity and reality? Why is it that Nigerian leaders continue to behave in office, in ways and manners no honest, patrotic individual, with a sense of respnsibility, honesty of purpose and stewardship would? I am perplexed because the number of committees is just unrealistic, unreasonable and unnecessary and incompatible with the economic realities of our time. To bring a sense of comparism to what the law makers have done, let us examine what is obtainable in other democracies which we have copied.

In Britain there is a select commitee for each governnment department examing three aspects, spending, policies and administration. The departmental committees have a minimum of 11 members who decide upon the line of inquiry and then gather written and oral evidence. The total number of select committes is 35 for the House of Commons. The house of lord, British senior chamber, has only 5 major committees. Their investigations look into specialist subjects, taking advantage of the Lords expertise and greater amount of time available to examine issues. The five major committes are:

European union
Science and technology
Communication
Constitution
Economic affairs and commerece
The American senate has about 16 standing committees

Agriculture and nutrition
Appointments
Armed forces
Banking, Housing and urban affairs
Budget, commerce, science and transport
Energy and natural Resources
Environmental and public works
Finance and Foreign relations
Health, Education, labour and Pensions
Homeland security and governance affairs
Judiciary, rules and administration and Small Business
Vetaran Affairs and four special committees, select and other committees below
Joint economic committee
Joint committee on printing
Joint committee on Library
Joint committee on deficit reduction

The American House of representative has just about 24 committees. However, Nigerian law makers have just inugurated 56 senate committes and 83 House of representative committes. Under any circumstance this is outrageous, unnecessary and unacceptable. Instead of coming out with a realistice and well thought out plan of how to move Nigeria forward, and address its many problems, the lawmakes have spent the last 100 days devisising various means by which they would contnue to suck Nigeria dry by exploiting their previleged position. At a time, all major economies are reducing the cost of government, Nigeria’s law makers are increasing the cost of government in a way that would only benefit them economically and further increase govenment bureacracy and spending. Their strategy is to create many committees to ensure that as many of them as possible become heads of committeee, a position that entitles them to further renumerations. To achieve this, they embarked on the task of spliting committes and government departments. This is simply hiding behide legitimate government organs to perpetrate crimes against the state.

For instance, instead of one armed forces committee, the law makers split the armed forces into three, Army, Air force and Navy. Most countries in the world have only one armed forces committee either in the lower house or as a joint committee of both Houses. In Nigeria the senate and the House of Representatives have their own different armed force committee, I suppose. In essence, Nigeria is doing with about six committees what other countries do with one committee. Another example is the committe on petrolum and natural resources. In most countries of the world, this is a single committee which caters for petroluem and natutral resources. However, in Nigera, the legislatore have created not just one committee for petrolume, but more than two in both houses I suppose. The national assembly even has a committee for upstream petrolum! I wonder why there should be a special committe for it. Could it be that it is the committee for oil bunkering as it is well known that many Nigerian politicians are involved in oil bunkering acording to wikileaks. Even more rediculous is the existence of committes for Drugs and narcotices and financial crimes. By definition ‘Drugs’ include narcotices. If the law makers mean pharmaceticules, then it should have come under health committee. These are just few examples of the many phony committees members of the National Assembly have inugurated as a cunduit to continue to syphone Nigeria’s resources into their private pockets. All these are on top of the fact that the average Nigeria legislator earns more tha eight hundred thousand pounds( £800,000) a year, while the aveage British MP earn about sixty five thousand pounds£65,000) a year and American congressmem about one hundred thousand pounds(100,000) a year, I suggest that Nigerians should study the number of the National assembly committees to understand the extent of the scam, and how deep rooted corruption is in Nigeria polity.

Where is the love of the legislators for Nigeria? Where is their patrotism? Where is their honesty of purpose? Where is their vision for Nigeria? This is clear evidence, that those who preside over the affairs of Nigeria do not love the country and see politics as simply a game to enrich themselves, and not an opportunity to serve and honour one’s country, and contribute to its development.

This action of the National Assembly is a big disappointment. It demostrates the contempt the law makers have for Nigerians. Where are educated and honest Nigerians? Where is the outrage from the opposition parties? Where are Nigerians who know what are are right, honest and decent? Where are Nigerians who believe in truth, intergrity and due process? Why should Nigeria be a country where legislators’ main concern should be discussing how to share the country’s resources amongst themselveves? Why should Nigeria law makers fix their renumeration? Why should they have a certain amount that is paid to them for community projects which they are not required to account to anybody?

The legislators have not made the case for their irrational, irresponsible, unnecessary, wasteful and selfish incease in the number of committees. They did what they have done, not because it is in the best interest of Nigeria, but because it would best serve their selfish interests, and because they can. This is a glaring and worrying example of the worst form of abuse of power. The way no law makers should use power. This is the type of action that destroys peoples’ confidence in a government and conviences them that the government should be consigned to history. Governments are swept away from power, not so much because of corruption, but because of insensitivity, arrogance and lack of due consideration in their behaviour, attitude and conduct. The behaviour, conduct and attitude of Nigeria legislators to corruption and their constitutional duties have reached a point where no serious minded person, would believe that they are good for Nigeria. There is urgent need for Nigerian legislators to demonstrate to Nigerians that they have their best interest at heart and are capable of playing their role in its future. Otherwise, they will all be swept away by the wind of change when it reaches Nigeria.

Isn’t it surprising that in a country that has the types of problems Nigeria has, that the best its law makers could do, is to think out ingeneous and dishonest ways of fragmenting its services to give them the best economic advantage? What is the law makers’ solution to the problem of Boko Haran, ethnic cleansing in Jos and corruption and extrajudicial killings by the police and members of armed forces and discrimination on the basis of state of origin? How would the fragmentation of committees in an atmosphere of limited resources help solve these problems? The law makers continue to demonstrate that they do not care about what the voters think. This may be because they think that they do not need their votes to remain in power, or the law they make is too impotent to hold them accountable for their actions. Either way, it is a bad omen for the future of Nigerian’s democracy.

As I have arguned elsewhere, the future of Nigeria depends on the reduction of the cost of her government and control of corrupton and honest and sincere leadership at all levels of government, and the behaviour of the law makers do not give hope for optimism. How can a legislative body that is more interested in increasing the natural advantage of its members in a dishonest manner, protect Nigeria from the pressure by some western governments, IMF and World bank on Nigeria to borrow money it does not really need? Nigeria is about to enter into a financial trap to borrow money that would end up in the foreign account of corrupt politicains. The excuse would be that it needs the loan to increase defence spending to control and contain Islamic terrorism and Niger delta insurgency. The arm producing natons allow their weapons to get into the hands of terrorists and when they use it to cause unreset in countries they loan the countries money to buy their weapons to defend themselves. In either case they win. Nigeria is now expected to beef up its military and Boko Haran is the excuse. Where is the articulate and patrotic legislative arm that would protect the interest of the country by subjecting these suspecious deals to scrutiny? This is a legislative body whose members are involved in all sorts of corrupt practices. Howcan they pass just laws that would help Nigeria control corruption if they themselves can engage in such elaborate scam to disguise their real ?

I plead with Nigeria’s legislators to pause, and understand that what they are doing is wrong. That they were not elected to concoct a scheme to ripe off the country by hiding behind forms without substance. Nigeria does not need 139 legislative committes. It makes caricature of Nigeria’s democracy. This would only put pressure on Nigera to further increase an already disproportionate cost of government which is already outrageously high. I am sure there are better Nigerians who, have honest conscience, know what is right, believe in civil and noble values, and know what is appropriate, who can do a better job. It is time for such people to seek public offices to save Nigeria.

Honest and patrotic Nigerians should come together to tell the law makers and corrupt executives that what they are doing is wrong and unacceptable. Nigeria is in des[erate need of men who will call evil by its rightful name, separate right from wrong without sentiments; who will not be bought or sold: men who will stand for the right no matter the pressure. Expecting the current Nigeria legislators to bring about the change that would transform the country would be like expecting a fox to work for the welfare of chickens. Nigerian should wake up to the magnitude of the problem we need to sumount to create a stable democratic and accountable democracy. I hope Nigerian will see the gathering storm, and do what is right, because as Bob Marley sang, ‘No one, but ourselves can free our mind’ and I will add, can free ourselves, from corrupt and self centred leaders with bankrup values. Every honest Nigeria must begin to ask, what can Ido to help save Nigeria.

By E O Eke.

Let them keep robbing Nigeria and Nigerians. When the bubble bursts, there will be no hidding place for them. We know them.

+1

@OP , Good thread. I concur with all you have written.

Only Time will tell.

Mr Eke isn't saying anything that hasn't been said b/4, or what we don't already know.

The fact of the matter is that the people who need to read this article, and then have a pricked guilty conscience to effect a change, are too busy with their snouts in the through to even bother caring. It's safe to say that up to 90% of legislators are 'in it' just for selfish reasons, and the other 10% don't have the balls to 'rock the boat'.

Sad but true.