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Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has advocated the need for the scrapping of bicameral structure of the National Assembly from the nation’s constitution, saying Nigeria does not need the Senate.
He spoke at the public hearing organised by the House of Representatives special committee on the review of the vonstitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, held in Akure.
Akeredolu, who was represented by his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, stated point blank that the Senate should be scrapped while House of Representatives membership should be part-time to save the current outrageous cost of governance.
He said:”The country may consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly and adopt a unicameral legislature. The membership of the Assembly should be part-time.No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee and, more importantly, people they claim to serve. Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity.
“The Senate should be scrapped. The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldly. A maximum of four representatives should come from each zone.”
Akeredolu, who advocated devolution of power by the Federal Government, declared that states should be allowed to decide on number of desired local governments and control natural resources in their territories, but pay tax to the Federal Government.
“The component parts in federation should reserve the rights on the number of local governments they desire to have. The inclusion of the names of 774 local governments in the Constitution smacks of over centralization of administration. It runs against the principles of federalism. States should determine the type of local administration desirable for its growth.
“The states should control the mineral resources within their territories and pay taxes to the Federal Government. Each region must be allowed to explore its potentials for the maximum benefits of its inhabitants.
“Taxes payable to the Federal Government should be on the basis of agreements. No State should be a parasite on the rest,” he said.
He also suggested that the Supreme Court should be decentralised, calling for creation of the court in all six geopolitical zones.
He said: “The Supreme Court should be decentralized to ease the current burden of the appellate court. In a true federal state, there should be a Supreme Court whose decisions are final in residual matters.
“The Supreme Court at the centre should concern itself mainly with issues bordering on constitutional interpretations and matters arising between and among the states and the Federal Government, as well as revenue generation by the Federal Government. It should also administer the National Judicial Council.
“The current situation imposes a heavy burden on the litigants and the jurists. It stalls economic activities in the geo-political zones. It is stultifying.It is counter-productive. It will not encourage development in the country.
“To enhance quick and effective dispensation of justice, the Supreme Court should be established in the six geo-political Zones in the country. The CJN should remain in Abuja while other Justices should preside at the zones.”
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