Nigeria’s democracy will suffer if legislature becomes part-time, says senate spokesperson

Yemi Adaramodu, spokesperson of the senate, says Nigeria’s democracy will be endangered if lawmakers operate on a part-time basis.

Adaramodu spoke on Friday during an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a Channels Television programme.

On June 12, Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), advocated for part-time legislature with reduced emoluments.

“If the parliament is on part-time, then it means democracy is on part-time,” the senate spokesperson said.

“There is no democracy that derides its parliament and thrives.”

Adaramodu argued that the national assembly is the fulcrum of democracy, adding that no cost-cutting measure should tamper with the allocation to lawmakers.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator representing Ekiti south said the legislature is not only responsible for lawmaking and oversight, but also bears the weight of constituency expectations.

“The Nigerian parliament is not only for lawmaking; we do oversight function. We advocate for our constituents,” he said.

“It will just be bewildering that even out of the three arms of government that we have in Nigeria, it is only the parliament and parliamentarians that our people have access to — like me and others.

“We go home almost every time and we are the ones when they give birth to a new baby, they ask for naming ceremony funds. When they are building a new house, it is from us they ask for assistance.

“So, if the parliament was not there, who do you expect that our constituents would run to?

“The parliament is not just to sit down at the plenary and make laws alone. And when we make laws, we follow it up.”

The senator said the national assembly has become a soft target for public policy critics.

“If we are on part-time, can’t the same amount of money be paid to part-time legislators?” he asked.

“We are in Abuja, is it the national assembly that is giving us housing? Is it the national assembly that is employing domestic staff for us? We are here on our own.

“We don’t get allowances for drivers. The allowances we get from housing are always deducted from our salaries. They give it once in four years and they deduct it every month.”

Adaramodu also said the official vehicles allocated to lawmakers are not registered in their names and are not for their personal use.

He, however, did not clarify if lawmakers inherit the vehicles after their tenure.