Babatunde Fashola, former minister of works and housing,
says labelling the legislature as a rubber stamp is “an improper appellation”.
He said the reason political parties vie to have the
majority number of lawmakers is “to get their agenda through” as seamlessly as
possible.
Fashola spoke on Friday during his presentation at the
annual lecture organised by the Honorary Members’ Forum (HMF) of the Nigeria
Air Force Officers’ Mess (NAFOM), Ikeja, Lagos.
The former Lagos governor said political parties make
promises during campaigns, and when they are elected into office, they are
expected to work towards achieving them.
Fashola said the rubber stamp description that is usually
associated with the national assembly is “meant to ridicule them”.
“Anytime we see the head of the executive and the head of
the legislature, they say is a rubber stamp,” he said.
“The question I always ask is, when contesting for national
assembly or house of assembly, which party goes there to have a minority
figure? Do we not go there to have the largest number of people? What is that
for if not to drive our agenda?
“That is the purpose of the majority. But it must be a
lawful agenda. It must be consistent with the laws of Nigeria.
“In the last election, almost all the presidential
candidates said they were going to remove fuel subsidies.
“So if the president now goes to the national assembly to
say, ‘give me the power to remove this,’ and they now approve it, does it mean
they are rubber-stamped? They are perpetuating and implementing the agenda that
we voted for. That is why they are the majority.
“Legislatures are not elected to go and fight. They are for
three things: to make laws, provide representation, and then provide oversight.
We once had an unfortunate incident where the legislature held the executive
budget for seven months. Is that beneficial to you?
“A government that
does not have an appropriation for seven months and the one that got
appropriation done in a few weeks, which is better?
“I think rubber stamp is an improper appellation if it is
meant to ridicule them because the reason why parties fight for a majority is
to get their agenda through.”
The ninth senate, led by Ahmad Lawan, was often criticised
for allegedly dancing to the tune of the administration of former President
Muhammadu Buhari.
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