Nigeria Legalised Irresponsibility,Nigeria

The House of Representatives recently made a mess of their rights to deliberate on national issues and exhibited absolute ignorance of the law vis-a-vis their powers as law makers. The House of Representatives must jettison their resolution requesting the Accountant-General of the Federation and Minister of Finance to withhold the allocations of Ekiti, Edo and Ondo States because their Governors dissolved the Local Government Administrations.

This matter is in court and it remains contemptuous of the House of Representatives to take a decision on it. The leadership of the House is in contempt of the court in line with the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of A.G of Lagos State and A.G of the Federation. The party in majority in the house has goofed and must take steps to obey and observe the doctrines of Rule of Law.
Again the National Assembly has exhibited crass irresponsibility to the desire of the electorate to have a fair and free election come 2011. They have said the President need not assent to the constitutional amendment. The Federal High court sitting in Lagos under Justice Okeke has ruled that the amendment requires presidential assent to become law. The Assembly intends to appeal this judgment to the court of appeal and maybe to the Supreme Court.

What do they intend to achieve? What is the motive behind this legal flexing of muscles? Has the President withheld assent to the amendment or is the national Assembly exhibiting ignorance and myopic understanding of the law and court judgments? Take the amendment to the President for assent and save the nation unwarranted waste of time and save themselves from the embarrassment of another defeat at the court of Appeal.
It is the duty of all citizens of Nigeria to protect the political and legal integrity of this nation. Issues of public nature must be addressed by every law-abiding citizen and when the government goofs, the truth must be told. The resolution of the National Assembly that past Presidents shall receive their salaries for life is absurd and a berating of the Democracy we profess.
How could we so easily forget the ruins civilian rule and democracy suffered under the successive military juntas that have ruled Nigeria? Under what indices is the Assembly acting in taking such injurious decision? Nigeria has never had any military President.

We had military heads of State who were addressed as such. Past Presidents in Nigeria must refer only to past civilian presidents. The decision is irresponsible of the feelings of the suffering masses of this nation who barely have food to eat. These past presidents should enjoy the fringe benefits they presently enjoy and remain pensioners. Why can't they leave on their pensions as retired civil servants? They must be made to reap the fruits of their labour.
They must experience the pains of the plethora of pensioners in this country. Section 173 of the 1999 constitution states thus "Subject to the provisions of this constitution, the right of a person in the public service of the Federation to receive pension or gratuity shall be regulated by law". They should remain pensioners' stricti sensu and their pensions and gratuity payments regulated by law.
Section 11-(1) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states thus "The National Assembly may make laws for the Federation or any part thereof with respect to the maintenance and securing of public safety and public order.........".

The National Assembly has continued to act as gas burners which remain docile until ignited by the executive and they come up with a conflagrating flame that suggests haste. The law-making functions of the National Assembly in relation to public safety and order has remained dormant.
Why should major highways be built passing through or beside major settlements without any overhead pedestrian bridges for use by the inhabitants of the settlement? Citizens have been hit by vehicles as they attempt to cross these highways into their villages or areas of abode. The contracts are awarded by the Executive Council of the Federation and the Monies for the project appropriated by the legislation. Who cares to query the safety potentials of the contracts awarded?
Any death occasioned by vehicles on pedestrians' crossing over into their living areas must be placed at the door steps of the Executive and Legislature at whatever level of government. What are the Disaster Management potentials of Nigeria? NEMA is grossly ill equipped and untrained to mto manage disasters beyond giving food stuff and mattresses to victims after the fact.


The Government has come up with Amnesty propaganda for the militants of Niger Delta. This is quite laughable as Amnesty relates to an act of forgiveness. I wonder what the government is forgiving in this instance. A legitimate struggle for economic and social emancipation is not a crime rather a pressure protest to drive some points home. The issue of Niger delta does not require a political solution.
It demands an economic solution which must be well articulated and representative of the people. Section 17-(1)-(d) of the 1999 constitution directs that "exploitation of human or natural resources in any form whatsoever for reasons other than the good of the community, shall be prevented".
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