A member of House of Representatives, Mr Kinsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers),
has said that adopting parliamentary system of government in Nigeria
will help reduce corruption and address frictions among different arms
of government in Nigeria.
According to the News Agency of
Nigeria, NAN, Chinda, who led 71 other lawmakers to sponsor a bill to
revert the county to parliamentary system at the House in December 2018,
disclosed this while speaking in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the idea was out of the need to curb frictions and ensure synergy among arms of government.
According
to him, “if you ask some legislators of some government policies, it is
difficult for them to clearly understand because the interface between
the executive and the legislature is not as it should be.
“The parliamentary system will ensure that the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary are on the same page.
“The
system will iron out all these things; that is why we have thrown it up
for Nigerians to look at, discuss and see that it will help us in
proffering solutions to some of the problems of our country.’’
Chinda
added that there was need to try something else away from the
presidential system as the cost of governance was too high for the
country.
The lawmaker said in the process of introducing the
bill, the sponsors considered the idea of a unicameral legislature as
against bicameral currently being practised.
He said he was in
support of a unicameral legislature as it would further cut cost. Chinda
said the sponsors of the bill were not condemning the presidential
system neither were they praising parliamentary system but were looking
for a system that best suits Nigeria, given its dynamic nature.
He
recalled that Nigeria practised parliamentary system in the past where
power was devolved, leading to healthy competition among regions and
resulting in great progress.
“What we have proposed in that bill
is that the exclusive list should be pruned down and so issues of
devolution of power is taken care of and I can assure you that you will
see healthy competition and this country will grow for all of us.
“I am from Rivers, why can I not go to Sokoto to do my business there when I see myself as a Nigerian.
“It is because of the constitution and the laws that we have; you fill forms and you have to indicate your tribe.
“We should begin to remove that mentality and begin to think of Nigeria first,” he said.
He
said the parliamentary system would help to check the issues of
corruption as ministers would be part of the parliament and they would
be accountable.
The lawmaker said the refusal of President
Muhammdu Buhari to assent to the amended Electoral Amendment bill for
the fourth time was another reason Nigeria should revert to the
parliamentary system.
He explained that the amendment was made to
move the electoral process forward but it was left by the president for
almost a year before finally declining assent on the ground that it was
too close to election.
“I am of the view that we should override the president and I have also spoken to some members about it,” he said.
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