‘Give Us State Police’-El-Rufai; ‘National Assemby Underfunded’- Lawan

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has called on the 9th National Assembly headed by Senator Ahmad Lawan to give Nigerians state police before the 9th NASS ends its regime.

 

Newsonline reports that the senate president also called for more funding of the National Assembly, stating that the 9th NASS is currently underfunded.

 

Governor El-Rufai and Ahmad Lawan made these calls on Monday while delivering lectures at the distinguished parliamentarian lecture 2022 with the theme, “Delivering on our contract with Nigeria, implementing the legislative agenda of the 9th House of Representatives- progress, challenges, and way forward,” organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja.

 

El-Rufai who chaired the event asked the 9th NASS to make laws that will give the federal government right to collect Value Added Tax only, while state police should be created.

 

The Kaduna state governor added that insecurity in the country has made it become ecessary for state police for quick decision and actions.

 

El-Rufai commended the 9th NASS for the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), Companies Allied Matters Act, Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, Deep Offshore Act, Health Insurance Legislation and Finance Bills.

 

He added that the works of the National Assembly are such that he would not seem himself equal to the task.

 

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He said, “I can never function in the legislature. The hard work required to lobby your colleagues for bills and motions to be passed is what some of us do not have and cannot stomach.

 

“In the legislature, all are equal and it is difficult to manage equals. In the executive, it is easy because it is easy to manage your subordinates. I can hire and fire, but that is not the same with the legislature.”

 

On his part, the senate president Ahmad Lawan called for more funding of the National Assembly.

 

Lawan said while many citizens have the wrong notion that members of the National Assembly are feeding fat on taxpayers’ money, it is not so.

 

Lawan said, “I know we try our best; let there be no doubt; the legislature will remain understood. People feel parliamentarians are lazy people. No matter what we do, people see us as people elected to drink tea.

 

“We know the National Assembly at this moment is underfunded. The Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture series is one of the laudable initiatives of NILDS geared towards bridging the gap between the electorates and their elected representatives.

 

“It is also an avenue for us, the parliament, to tell our stories to the wider audience, to change the misperception and misinformation in the public domain. No doubt, the legislature which is the fulcrum of democracy worldwide has been misunderstood, some for mischievous purposes and at times owing to its underdeveloped stature historically.”