House of Representatives member Dennis Idahosa (APC Edo)has said the National Assembly (NASS) is working assiduously to ensure that Nigerians enjoy a fast pace of development.
The lawmaker, who represents the Ovia South West/Ovia North East Federal Constituency in the Green Chamber, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin.
Idahosa, who is the Chairman House Committee on Legislative Compliance, noted that it was wrong for critics to label the NASS as an appendage of the executive.
He said that the relationship between the executive and the NASS had yielded quite a number of dividends such as the January to December budget circle and prompt screening of the President’s nominees for various positions.
Idahosa noted that the members of the NASS had also not failed to put the executive on its toes wherever the need arose.
He advised that the critics must understand that it would not mean well for the progress of the country for members of NASS to unnecessarily hold the executive to ransom for matters that could be resolved through dialogue.
According to him, NASS is an institution and there is no democracy without one.
“Many critics strongly believe that we the NASS members are rubber stamp. I don’t think so.
“We are only trying to be accommodative to ensure that Nigerians enjoy a fast pace of development.
“The January to December budget circle that we now enjoy is a product of this robust relationship.
“We also joined millions of Nigerians who believed that the President was not doing enough to tackle the issues of insecurity in the country to call for change of tactics.”
Idahosa, who is also a member of the House Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), expressed dismay that the commission had failed to meet the purpose for which it was set up.
He said that besides the issue of abandoned projects across the region, the commission had served the purpose of enriching few individuals.
The lawmaker also called for the supervision of the NDDC to be taken back to the Presidency rather than the present system.
“I am of the view that the operations of the commission should be taken back to the Presidency from the Ministry.
“Having a minister controlling NDDC is an error.
“With all due respect to the minister involved, it is not directed at him. But, I feel so pained because I see NDDC as a cash cow. The nine oil-producing states in the south cannot continue this way.
“NDDC was set up for the development of the region; but has there been any development in the region? No.
“All we are seeing are abandoned projects everywhere because it is used as a conduit for siphoning funds,” he said.
