…you’re entitled to your opinion – Senate
Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday advocated for a review of the 1999 Constitution in such a way that the Senate would be scrapped, leaving only the House of Representatives to legislate for the country.
Akeredolu said the listing of the 774 local governments in the constitution was an aberration as states should be able to determine the number of council areas they could afford to cater for.
Speaking at the House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitution Review, Akeredolu, who was represented by his Deputy, Lucky Ayedatiwa, said the state House of Assembly should be made part-time and their remuneration reduced to accommodate the economic realities of the country.
But the Senate reacted to the suggestion of the Ondo State governor yesterday, saying that he was entitled to his opinion.
Akeredolu, who was represented at the event by his Deputy, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the country should consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly and adopt a unicameral legislature.
However, in his reaction to this view, spokesman of the Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said the Governor Akeredolu was entitled to his opinion. According to Akeredolu, the country should consider dropping the current bicameral structure as the economy can no longer cater for the bogus legislative arm of government.
“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 unwieldy. A maximum of four representatives should come from each zone.”
Akeredolu said the states should be able to control their resources and pay taxes to the Federal Government unlike the situation where the Federal Government controlled all resources at the detriment of the states. “The position of the Ondo State government has been made public that we advocate for a Federal Government largely reduced in size and scope of engagement.
We want to see a constitution that will enhance the performance of public office holders at all levels. “Devolution of powers must be far reaching and immediate to reverse the slide into anarchy and economic doldrums. Revenue generation and allocation must reflect the extent to which a state participates in the economy. It is anomalous to have a situation in which the Federal Government issues proclamations on the running of local governments.”
