₦airaland Forum

flokii:
Interpretation of law matters a lot.. you said Wike is not accountable to the Senator but existing law says Ministers are answerable to lawmakers too.

Alright, does the law grant any individual Senator/Legislator direct oversight authority, or does it delegate this function to relevant Special and Standing committees? Oversight functions are carried out by these committees, not at the discretion of any individual Senator. If a Senator has concerns, they can raise a motion in the chambers, but nothing can be enacted without the support of other members.

I emphasize - no individual Senator possesses the authority to issue directives independently, akin to executives outside of the National Assembly. They operate within limited collective authority as an arm of government. Even at that, for example, the Senate cannot dictate to the service chiefs how to perform their duties, but it can raise inquiries to gain clarity on the execution of tasks to the satisfaction of Nigerians.

Furthermore, oversight differs from supervision. The Ministers of the Federal Government or any appointee for that matter are not beholden to the desires or whims of any individual lawmaker, whether it be the Senate President or the lowest-ranking member of the National Assembly.

flokii:
According to extant laws of FRN, the Legislative arm of Government i.e. National Assembly (Senators and House of representatives) are to carry out oversight functions on the Executive arm (Ministers of the Federal Republic to be precise) in order to have check and balances..

The case of FCT not having Governor but Ministerial portfolio which are designed for Ministries is causing serious back and forth for FCT Administration. Now, the Senator wants the Minister of FCT (equivalent of Governor of a State) to come and be paying homage and be kissing her hands every now and then but ko possible.

Minister of FCT is like a State Governor while Minister for Education for instance is the political head of the Ministry of Education.. difference dey.

What precisely are you trying to convey? Are you restating what has already been mentioned, or is there a new perspective you're offering?

I admire Ireti Kingibe for her strong and vocal demeanor, but it's important to acknowledge that she doesn't hold authority over Wike, nor does any lawmaker possess supreme power independently. Wike's response to her is influenced by her stance since his appointment as FCT minister. Senator Kingibe shouldn't take on a supervisory role over the Minister; her office can oversee without direct involvement unless she has a distinct agenda, and then not hide under the guise of representing the constituency.

It's not feasible for a Senator to seek a supervisory position over a Governor, especially in the case of the FCT, or to issue directives, particularly to a Minister. Madam, it's essential to focus on your role; the FCT Minister, whether Wike or another, holds a federal portfolio and is accountable Not to you, but to the Federal Government and all Nigerian citizens, not just those from the FCT.

Good job!