Nigeria’s
Senate President, David Mark, has warned state legislators to resist
interference and dominance by the executive arm of government in their
states.
The Senate President gave the advice at an induction
course for new state legislators organised by the National Institute
for Legislative Studies (NILS).
Senator Mark
noted that the relationship between State Houses of Assembly and state
governors in Nigeria has often been from two extremes; patronizing or
rocky, but their is need for lawmakers to strike a balance.
The
Chairman, Senate Committee on Rule and Business, Senator Ita Enang, also
shared this view as reports of sudden and ill conceived impeachments of
presiding officers of the State Assemblies have become common, much to
the dismay of many Nigerians.
The induction course, put together
by the NILS, was to prepare state legislators to avoid pitfalls in the
discharge of their duties.
The first task which the incoming lawmakers would have to contend with would be electing their principal officers.
The
rule and convention of the Senate, the House of Representatives as well
as state assemblies is that whoever must be a principal officer must be
a ranking lawmaker, a rule that some first time lawmakers into the
state assemblies have expressed reservation about.
However,
Senator David Mark, as well as other principal officers of the National
Assembly have called for caution and synergy between State Assemblies
and the National Assembly to aid the country in achieving its
developmental goals, increase transparency and accountability and curb
corruption.
Credit: Channels
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