By Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan
This sort of public proclamation coming from the President of the Senate it really unnecessary and somewhat embarrassing
I really don’t have a problem with all three arms of government performing their constitutional roles distinct from each other as enshrined in sections 4, 5 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution.
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What I object to is these public declarations of loyalty to the executive branch by the other two arms, whether the judiciary or the legislature.
It is totally uncalled for and gives a wrong message to the public. The legislature must show that it’s ready to conduct its oversight functions as a bulwark to stem the tide of reckless actions of the executive or other lawlessness and call the executive branch to order should there be an overreach by any MDAs.
I really don’t understand why the Senate President should be making these sorts of proclamations as if he is the SSA Media, Minister of information or DG of the National Orientation Agency.
There are half a dozen agencies to sing praises for the executive branch, but definitely not the head of another arm of government, whether the judiciary or the legislature.
The Senate is supposed to provide a check on the Executive Arm of government, not its spokesperson or a rubber stamp to policies or issue press statements for the executive.
The makers of the Constitution knew what they were doing when these three arms of government were kept separate.
The Senate president (as head of the legislature) or Chief Justice of Nigeria (as head of the judiciary) cannot do the job of the SSA on media to the executive branch.
Democracy can only work where these elementary tenets are kept.
Chief Nkereuwem Udofia Akpan, Constitutional Lawyer, Public Affairs Analyst, Human Rights Activist writes from Abuja
The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.
