A group of old and serving lawmakers under the umbrella of Faculty Board of the Initiatives have tasked various interest groups, particularly the political parties, to desist from interfering in the process of electing the leadership of the nineth National Assembly.
Speaking on behalf of the group in a media briefing held at the House of Representatives Media Centre, a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh (Dean of the Faculty), said considering the sensitive role of the legislature, it was important to safeguard its independence.
Eyiboh, who addressed journalists in company of Hon. Nelson Alapa, Hon. Chris Eta, Hon. Ibrahim Buba and Chukwuemeka Ujam, said: “This country can only be great if we allow the independence of the legislature, the stability of the legislature and of course the separation of powers.”
Noting that since the period of past speakers such as Ghali Nabba, Dimeji Bankole, Aminu Tambuwal and the current speaker, Yakubu Dogara, the independence of the legislature guaranteed that they played their roles, he cautioned on a precedence where leadership is influenced externally should not be allowed not to be the norm.
“We all belong to one political party or the other and each of our political parties have their manifestos and each of our party associates with their sentiments but on our own part, we are saying where politics ends, governance starts,” he said.
He said the current leadership under Speaker Yakubu Dogara has been able to show a clear difference between politics and governance, saying: “And as we are starting governance, we should be able to set parameters for the leadership for the leadership recruitment system,” adding that the leaders “must emerge free of democratic deceits.
The lawmaker insisted that if government or the three arms must stand in a tripod arrangement, then the legislature should be allowed to choose its leadership.
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