***Parliamentary system is most economical
By Christiana Ekpa
The former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Leader of the South-South and Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark have pledged on unflinching support for the proposed bills seeking to adopt homegrown Parliamentary system of government.
Speaking during the meeting with Chief Clark at his residence, Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda who observed that the Parliamentarians are under pressure to bring the needed changes to governance, argued that the current Presidential system of government is too cumbersome and added little or no value to the country considering its diversity and background.
He maintained that we need an homegrown structure that will put into consideration our background and craft our laws, hence collectively resolved that: “the present style of presidential system that we are running in Nigeria is too cumbersome for our country, for our background, for our experience and cannot in any way be repaired as we stand today.”
While maintaining that we need to change our structure slightly and come with a structure that soothes our setting and environment, he noted that with the extant laws, “a Governor, a President can run the state or the country for four years without talking to Nigerians, there’s no offence, he has committed no offence against our laws. That is why you will hear the likes of Garba Shehu, Ngelale, talking to Nigerians instead of the Number One Citizen of the country.
“No offence is committed, during COVID all of us were here, other countries were having briefing weekly by their President, our President did not do it, then we have Committees that were talking to Nigerians, and when they goofed, then he will come up to say it was not from us. So, we must have a system where Publix office holders including ourselves that you have elected will be more accountable to you, the people. A system where public office holders will be hands-on, it’s not to administer the people by proxy. And all that we have put together.”
He said: “Our leader, we came with one agenda and as representatives elected into the House of Representatives of Nigeria to make laws for the good governance of this country, to make law for the peace and progress of this country – Nigeria..
“Our leader, you’re aware and will not say away from the fact that our country is not where we all expected it should be., today. We not here to lay blames, we are laos not here to dig deep to issues that perhaps will make great discordant tone. Assignment and our job is to look for solutions to some of these problems.”
