Lawyers Debate Over Performance Of 8th Assembly

As the eight Assembly gradually winds down, two legal practitioners have argued over the performance of the legislative arm of government within the last four years.

While Sunusa Musa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) criticised lawmakers for their performance over what he described as poor performance, Ilemona Onoja being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) however defended them blaming the Federal Government for forwarding just 11 bills over the past four years.

Both appeared as guests on Channels Television’s Politics Today to debate on good governance between the two arms of government since 2015.

“The performance of the Eight Assembly should be me as a person and for ordinary Nigerians below expectation in the sense that we have had the leadership of the National Assembly that is determined to frustrate any effort of the Executive arm of government to giving good leadership of the country,” Musa said.

According to the APC member, the lawmakers’ frosty relationship with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration “really affected the law-making business of the legislators and the society in general.”

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He specifically criticised the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara for allegedly not cooperating with the Federal Government in the effective law-making process.

When asked to respond to the allegations, PDP’s Onoja defended the leadership of the outgoing Eight Assembly.

He, however, blamed the Executive for not making enough input by proposing more bills that will better the masses.

“In sheer performance terms, it’s impossible to reach a conclusion that the Eight Assembly was an obstacle in any way.

“The Executive has only submitted 11 bills to the Eight Assembly. Of these 11 bills that are apart from the routine Appropriation Act on budget proposals, two of those bills have been passed,” he stated.

Onoja also accused the Executive of undermining, intimidating and sponsoring some persons to invade the National Assembly.