Some House of Representatives members in the 9th National Assembly have said they performed credibly well in ensuring the delivery of democratic dividends to Nigerians.
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A section of those interviewed at the sideline of the valedictory session for members of the 9th assembly in Abuja, said the assembly had set a standard for the 10th assembly to beat.
Rep. Ado Doguwa, the Majority Leader, said it had done well by enacting critical legislations that affected the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“One of the legislations was the historical passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill which couldn’t be passed by the past assembly because providence of time and circumstances did not allow them to have it on ground, this great 9th assembly made that history and we have a new trajectory in the oil sector.
“The Electoral Act has undergone a lot of legislative processes and amendments to ensure that our electoral process is at power with and complete shoulder to shoulder with developed democracies,” he said.
Rep. Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta) said it had been impactful and productive.
Ossai, who represented Ndokwa East/Ndokwa West/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, urged the 10th assembly to build on the achievements.
“Judging by the legislative agenda that was setup to measure performance, the 9th assembly was one of the best in terms of performance.
“Some of us were part of it and I am proud to congratulate my colleagues.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the assembly sat to address the basic economic problems of this country and the issues of the pandemic; it shows seriousness, commitment and patriotism and that is what we are witnessing today.
“The 9th Assembly embarked on constitutional amendment and today I am proud to say that former President Muhammadu Buhari assented to as many of the bills that were passed by this assembly, I think it was very productive,” he said.
Rep. Abbas Adigun (PDP-Oyo) corroborated Ossai’s claim, saying the assembly was one of the best.
“If we look back, there were things that we wanted to achieve; but we have done so well in terms of the electoral act, the education sector, infrastructure development, we have done well in passing so many bills.
“There is one thing I think we should have done, we raised the issue but it did not go far; it is about the age of who can come to the National Assembly and how many times can a person return.
“I would like to see the 10th Assembly work on the age and put the maximum age limit at 60 years; if you are more than 60, you should not be able to contest for any office in the National Assembly in order to give room for the young generation that are coming.
“Then the time you can spend in the National Assembly in either the Senate or the House, I believe it should not be more than two terms as it is in the executive,’’ he said.
He added: “There is so much poverty in the land and so many people are coming into politics, this is to open the door for new ideas and experiences, I think they should limit the National Assembly to two terms only.”
Rep. Chukwu Umumoji (PDP-Anambra) also said the assembly had performed beyond expectations.
“I think the 9th Assembly should have gone further to checkmate the executive, there were certain things we would have stopped, especially the ASUU strike.
“I think whatever ASUU needs, since education is very important in nation’s building, such demand should be met immediately by the government; that prolonged strike was a very big distraction not for the children and the representatives, I am not happy about that,’’ he said.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
