The Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),Prof. Bolaji Owosanoye has charged the 9th National Assembly to use its legislative investigative powers in curbing corruption, inefficiency and waste in the current system of government.
Owosanoye said this on Monday in Abuja at a Legislative conference with theme ” Legislative investigative powers: Expectations, challenges and way forward” organised by Hallowmace Media in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
The ICPC Chairman who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Esa Onoja, said Sections (88) and (89) of the 1999 Constitution clearly embowered the National Assembly to conduct legislative investigative hearings through resolutions to check virtully anything including abuse of power.
According to him, the National Assembly is modelled in the frame of an Anti-Corruption agency; and it should find the strength to exercise this power.
In using the powers; the Anti- graft czar said the National Assembly must be like “Ceasar’s Wife”, rising above every suspicion.
In his submission, the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA); gave strong support to the position of ICPC when he said his agency was expecting the National Assembly to use its oversight powers to expose corruption and inefficiency in the system.
He said there was a problem of negative public perception that needed to change especially among rural dwellers concerning the role of the legislature in Nigeria.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the organizer of the event, Anderson Osiebe, accused National Assembly of not being alive to its constitutional responsibilities.
According to him the National Assembly must be proactive to every situation in the country that has greater effects on Nigerians.
“Until the National Assembly wakes up from its slumber; Nigeria will continue to remain asleep”.
Osiebe who is also the publisher of Hallowmace Magazine added that the recent #EndSARS protests was an indictment on the National Assembly and would not have been necessary if the legislature was doing its work.
“The recent #EndSARS Protest is an indictment on the National Assembly,If the National Assembly was up to its responsibilities, the people won’t have any business protesting in the streets”, he said.
A member of the House of Representatives, Uzoma Nkem Abonta also agreed with Osiebe’s submission.
According to him; the legislature is the lifeblood of Nigeria’s democracy and while it has the powers to check the excesses if the executives; the current leadership appears reluctant to exercise such powers.
He said what is currently obtainable between the executive and the current federal lawmakers, is a master-slave relationship which he said was not healthy for Nigeria’s democracy.
“Legislature is the engine room for the democracy but the operators are they using their powers? How long shall we continue to sleep in the parliament”? he submitted.
