The lead sponsor of the bill for a parliamentary system of government, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, spoke with KAUTHAR ANUMBA-KHALEEL on the proposed amendment and the need for the shift.
You just introduced a bill seeking to return Nigeria to a Parliamentary system. What prompted the amendment?
The bill is borne out of genuine response to the yearnings of Nigerians; a need for us to try something else. We are trying to proffer a legislative solution to some of our country’s problems that have defied executive solutions for decades. Problems like decentralization; weak institutions; lack of synergy between arms of government; high over-head; insecurity, and dwindling social infrastructure and more are the propelling force why we should rethink the political structure of this country and adopt a more manageable, realistic and pragmatic system that can help achieve growth and development in the country.
We have tried the presidential system and one of its major problem of today is the cost of governance. Even the budget just presented by the President, over fifty per cent goes to recurrent expenditure. We feel that if we try a system that will reduce the cost of recurrent expenditure and increase capital expenditure that Nigerians will benefit more from it. Besides, the parliamentary system will tackle the issue of corruption because ministers will be in parliament and give proper accountability and it will completely iron out the constant friction between the executive and the legislature. The proposed amendment will further help in ensuring that all Arms of Government are carried along in government policies. That is why we have thrown it up for Nigerians to look at it, discuss it and see if that will help us in proffering solutions to some of our problems.
Many are of the view that legislators are over-paid and that duplication of functions between the Senate and the House forms part of the high cost of governance. Do you support calls for a unicameral legislature?
Well, on the emoluments of legislators, it might be a little difficult for people to believe whatever I say because I am one. However, I can tell you that I worked as a commissioner in the Executive arm and what I earn today is not higher than what I was earning then including the allowances I get today. So, truly, what we are paid is not enough for us to do the job the way we want it done. But what you find in the system is perhaps, that of mismanagement. If you take a look at the overhead in both the legislature and the executive arms, they are far apart. The executive arm far outweighs that of the legislature but these are different arms of government with different functions. Again, we need to understand that the legislature is the most important arm in a democracy and if this country will move forward, it is the legislature that will see to that which is why we took the leap of introducing a parliamentary system. It is a fundamental change we know, but we must do things differently. I do not think Nigeria can afford the current system it as it stands today no matter how hard we try.
In the cause of proposing the amendment, a lot of us considered a unicameral legislature but we left it out due to its sensitive nature. I am not attached to this office because I will not be a legislator all my life so, my interest is in what positive marks I will leave behind and what comes to Nigeria as a nation because I will remain a Nigerian all my life. That said, we left out the aspect of unicameral or bi-cameral until it comes for debate. But personally, I would rather there be a unicameral legislature.
Is time on your side in terms of seeking buy-in from state Assemblies and how optimistic are you that the bill will fly?
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The major hindrance we have is time. We may not have all the time to pass this amendment in the life of this Assembly but our colleagues at the state level have already keyed-in; we are already lobbying to make people understand the need for this shift. I can tell you that a lot of our members as well as Nigerians are welcoming the idea.
We are taking it one step at a time. We have proposed it. If there are superior arguments in the course of debate, we will reconsider some of the clauses at the committee level and public hearing. If we started off by wondering whether it will fly or not, we would never have presented it. We mean well for Nigeria as a nation and that is what is most important. We have proposed it whether it is popular or not, we should be bold enough to push it forward as long as we believe it is the best thing that can happen to this country at it is point.
What are your thoughts on the 2019 Budget?
The budget is nothing but a ritual and I don’t think we should do things for the sake of doing it. Yes, it is statutory that the budget must be presented but then, I don’t look at statutes alone in the words of the statutes. What is the intention of that law; what is the spirit behind the law; what do we intend to achieve when you say a nation should present a yearly budget? It all comes down to implementation so that you can be guided in your expenditure and the things you set to achieve. Each year, we present a budget but then operate like we do not have any. What value does it actually add? We only use it to cover up anomalies in the system.
I am not very impressed with the budget because nothing has changed. Capital provision is so low. What I expected to see was a budget that will improve fundamentally on the capital aspect and begin to deliberately, come down on recurrent. Let us begin to manage ourselves.
…and what was the hostility towards the President really about?
Well, the boos weren’t part of the plan. Some of us felt that the budget has become a ritual and we wanted to protest and demand proper implementation. That incident wasn’t the essence of the planned protest. We were just going to say “Mr. president, the budget we passed for 2018 has not been properly implemented, the level of implementation is abysmally low and it is affecting us as representatives”. That was our issue not completed or uncompleted projects. But then, there are members who believe that Mr. president should be given another term while some of us believe he hasn’t done well. Then he walks in and rather than allow for normal procedure, he was cheered and he acknowledged it. That was not the essence of his visit. Ordinarily, he ought not to acknowledge cheers before us. So, we had to make him realise that we were not with him so that he doesn’t leave with the impression that all is well. It was also important to let him know that some of the projects he listed as completed are in our constituencies and we know that they were not completed despite the cheers from people who have no idea where they are sited. I must add however, that what happened on that day wasn’t intended to slight the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. No Nigerian will want to slight that office. He just had to be told the truth and I understand that he couldn’t have visited the sites of those projects but I’m sure he would have called for evidence to show the real state of the things he read after he left.
There were reports that the National Assembly will override the President’s veto to the amendment to the Electoral Act. Where are we on that?
Again, that is another reason why I insist that the current system is not the best for us. We made these amendments to push us forward in our democratic practice and sent the bill to the President almost a year ago, what did he do? He parried it until it got close to election just for him to now say it is too late. Why? Anyway, on my own part, I’ve asked other members to join hands and let us attempt and see if we can override but I’m certain what will be viewed as a political thing, a PDP affair and perhaps, the APC will advise their members not to be part of it. But we cannot grow like this. If the National Assembly did not override the NDDC bill, we would not have that commission today. So, I will tell my colleagues that this is one case where the National Assembly should override the President.
