The plan by the Senate to inaugurate a new independent Transparency and Delivery Commission (TDC), as part of measures to review and improve its oversight systems is one more example of the odium that politicians have brought constitutional democracy into in Nigeria. It is expected that the Commission would be led by a working group consisting of a world leading research institution and a partner institute in Nigeria with an internationally acclaimed anti-corruption expert acting as the advisor. The independent Commission will work closely with the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption & Financial Crimes to draw up a robust oversight scheme and strengthen the internal structuring and capacity of the National Assembly to fulfill its role as an anti-corruption institution. If there ever was a vote of no-confidence by Senators against the Senate, this must be it. And it is truly regrettable.
According to a statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Communication), to Senate President, Bukola Saraki; “the Commission’s work will be two-fold. Initially it will concentrate on analyzing the processes and tools by which the Senate and the National Assembly in general can, using its legislative remit, assist the anti-corruption agenda of President Buhari and more specifically strengthen the institutions through legislative reforms.”
The first question to ask is what exactly is meant by “a world leading research institution and a partner institute in Nigeria with an internationally acclaimed anti-corruption expert” and why the Senate thinks the TDC will succeed where other existing oversight mechanisms failed. Honestly, this so-called TDC is a self-imposed duplication of function neither supported by the letter nor the spirit of the constitution. The 1999 Constitution stipulates in detail, the role of the federal legislature “to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Federation…” It also assigns to them comprehensive oversight duties in matters of governance. These Senators are yet to fully avail themselves of their constitutional role, because they spend all their time on diversionary activities as chasing pork barrels, euphemistically called “constituency projects.”
In jurisdictions where the current style of government is borrowed from “constituency projects” mean projects that may be executed by the central government in exchange for a legislator’s support on key issues. But as is the case with the Nigerian elite, ideas are borrowed and implemented with all the wrong motives – self-interest, group interest and everything in-between. It is a pity that the lawmakers, propelled by greed, have subjected themselves to a reversal of their specified constitutional role, which is to monitor the other arms of government.
Now that the Nigerian Senate has decided to outsource its oversight responsibilities to a foreign entity, whose duties will henceforth include; superintend and monitor the execution of the budget and project implementation; tracking the amount involved (in each project) and ensure that it was actually spent on the projects submitted so as to account for the fund. Now that the Senate has taken it upon itself to monitor government projects, and ensure fairness of evaluation, it would be appropriate that the constituents be the nucleus of the Senatorial foreign monitoring team. After all, the legislative arm itself is not the most transparent.
The desperation, to the point of blackmail, with which Nigerian legislators insist year-in year-out, on the oversight component of their functions is however baffling. There are hardly instances of similar pressure for legislative action in respect of more pressing matters of public interest. And the point must be made that, the practice in other climes does not allow for direct payment to the legislators or their direct involvement in execution of projects as we have in Nigeria. Because it is public money intended for public good, and for purposes of transparency and accountability, the executive arm of government so constitutionally authorized, executes the project and is seen to be done by that legislature, again constitutionally authorized to so ensure.
If legislators would see themselves more as officers of the Federal Republic and less of a section, they would begin to see the entire country as their constituency. Such broad-minded perception would encourage constituency projects – road and housing construction, agriculture, industry, educational – that are conceived, designed and executed in the short, medium, and long term, in the context of a comprehensive national development plan backed by law. It is in the course of such holistic plan that legislators can leverage on the areas of advantage of their constituencies to lobby for the location of projects. That these things are not being earnestly done is a failure of duty on the part of both the executive and the legislative arms of government.
The point must also be made that if every legislator does his duty in accordance with the oath of office, there would be no need for special transparency commissions and foreign researchers and consultants to do their oversight work for them; nor would there be a justification to duplicate functions and increase the cost of governance. Thus, the new so-called transparency commission is an affront on the sensibility of Nigerians and creates the impression that the wrong people are in the Senate. Present reality is that Nigerians are agitating for lawmakers to cut down on the wanton abuse and high cost of running the legislature. And the self-serving attitude of the lawmakers has further brought to the fore their seeming idleness and non-diligence in what should be of paramount importance.
Hence at no better time than now should the crusade be carried out to curb the prohibitive allowances of these Senators for a job that ought to be part-time. It is clear that the Senate is self-seeking in its quest for another commission with powers beyond existing parliamentary powers and privileges. This calls for sober reflection and the question is: why do the Senators want an anti-corruption think tank with oversight powers beyond that already given to them by extant laws? Is it because some of the members are facing probes for alleged criminal offences? The new transparency commission is manifest evidence that the quality of representation in Nigeria has plummeted. It is the consequence of a flawed leadership recruitment process, which lacks any semblance of democracy and is largely characterized by imposition of candidates by party stalwarts.
The Senate stands condemned for adopting such a measure. Senators should face their statutory responsibility of making laws for good governance of the country. Indeed, there are many important bills, which require their attention. Examples are “A Bill for an Act to Prohibit any form of Expenditure in default of or contrary to Appropriation by Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to Facilitate Accountable Governance and Other Matters Incidental Thereto” and the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which seeks to empower the country in relation to foreign players in the sector. The bill has dragged on for too long. This and many others waiting to be enacted should occupy the legislators and not barefaced exercise in self-indulgence. The legislators need to face the critical problems besetting the country at this time. Governance is about the people and not assuming this mindset is to misunderstand the goal of governance.
