The National Assembly, as part of its oversight function, has since its inception been probing the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies The National Assembly, as part of its oversight function, has since its inception been probing the activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government, especially in respect of their revenues and expenditures.
Another botched probe in the 8th Assembly was done by the joint Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport. The panel was empowered to investigate the revenue leakages in the import and export value chain valued at N30 trillion. The Senate had also lamented that the country was currently losing USD$30 million every month to electricity firms, while Nigerians were not getting supplies. But the Presidency faulted the findings and recommendations of the Senate and the probe consequently remained inconclusive.
Ogboji further argued that it is the duty of the National Assembly to expose leakages, while the executive takes up the matter and arraign the culprits before the court. He added that bodies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should follow up with the reports. He argued that such disposition by the lawmakers could be defended relying on sections 59 and 81 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which empowers the National Assembly to so act. According to him, section 13 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act and other laws in force in Nigeria, enabling the National Assembly to refuse to consider the budgets of errant MDA’s.
“Over the years, since the return of democracy, we have seen this same institution weakened by the same corruption it is meant to fight. There is also the issue of executive interference with legislative functions. The Constitution contemplates an independent but harmonious relationship of the organs of the government. But often, we have seen that the executive arm would want to influence the leadership of the National Assembly.
The lawyer, however, pointed out that in the discharge of their duties, many of the lawmakers take undue advantage of the powers conferred on them to intimidate the MDAs they are required to oversee their activities. The oversight function of the National Assembly has become an avenue for members to corruptly enrich themselves, she claimed.
The problem, she said, is that those involved have a mentality of corruption, starting from the lawmakers who are supposed to perform oversight functions to the management of MDA’s who also care only about their pockets. According to Okeshola, from the budgeting stage, the MDAs present estimates that are over-bloated and have high expenditure rates to the National Assembly committee for scrutiny and they accept them.
BurkinaFaso Coup Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. The President has been arrested. The air, water, ground borders have been closed. The Parliament has been dissolved. Constitution suspended.
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