ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON NIGER DELTA DURING 7TH AND 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON NIGER DELTA DURING 7TH AND 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Background to the study

The legislature is considered one of the most basic structures in any political system. Hence, Abegunde (2016) noted that the legislative arm of government performs three functions which included legislative, representative, and oversight. Explaining, Woodley, Sahgal, and Stapenhurst (2004) observed that members of the legislature carry out their duties as representatives of the people. They represent the people's will and are the source of authority in democratic nations. The members of the national legislature are elected by eligible voters who form a group of constituencies representing the whole country. However, there are countries where the quota system is practiced where some seats are set aside to ensure that certain special interest groups are represented. In Uganda for example, certain parliamentary seats are reserved for women across districts (International IDEA, 2020). This is to increase the number of women participating in the political process.  Despite this reservation, some women contest elections and win in the parliament based on non-gender policy (International IDEA, 2020).

The legislative function of the legislature is to introduce legislations. Aside from this, they also can approve, amend or reject government bills (Woodley, Sahgal & Stapenhurst, 2004). When bills are introduced in the parliament (assembly), they go through various stages based on the specific countries legislative operational framework. These stages are easily categorized as follows: First reading, second reading/committee stage, third reading/consideration, and presidential/royal assent (Abiola, 2018).The legislature carries out its functions of representation, legislative, and oversight by ensuring that governments follow the wishes and intent of the people when implementing policies and programs. Woodley et al (2004) resolved that the legislature undertakes representation, legislative, and oversight functions in two ways: they initiate bills the reflect the wishes of their constituencies, make laws that govern the conduct of the executive for the general welfare of the people, as well as oversee the preparation of a given policy (ex-ante oversight) or can supervise the execution and implementation of a given policy (ex-post oversight). However, the roles of the legislature are dependent on whether such mechanisms are employed before or after an enacted government policy (Pelizzo & Stapenhurst, 2004). Regardless of the method of a legislative function utilized by the legislature, accountability is at the core concept of legislative oversight governance.  

The people have the power to hold the government accountable through the legislative arm of the government (Irawan, 2014). This is why it is so important that the legislature can hold the government accountable in the quest to develop a credible state (Pelizzo & Stapenhurst, 2004). Members of the Legislature are appointed to various committees or commissions to carry out their duties. One of these is the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs (Abiola, 2018).

Constitutionally, the National Assembly has been empowered to regulate its procedure (Section 60 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [CFRN] 1999 as altered) as well as to nominate committees for such purpose as it deems fit (CFRN, Section 62(2)). Given this, the

Senate Committee on Niger Delta derives its legitimacy from Order 98(38) of the Senate

Standing Orders 2015 (as amended). The portion of the Standing Order states categorically that  

(1)there shall be a Committee to be known as Committee on Niger-Delta  

appointed at the commencement of the life of the Senate.  

(2)The Committee's jurisdiction shall include:  

(a)Niger-Delta Development Commission.  

(b)Matters affecting the Niger-Delta and  

(c)Annual budget estimates.  

The purpose of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs is to oversee the books of executive agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission and to examine the effectiveness of government programs and actions in the Niger Delta region. This is done to ensure that the public funds are spent properly as well as to improve the management of funds raised through taxes. Indeed, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs has become significant in the development of the region due to the rising need for the development of the Niger Delta region.

Statement of the problem

John Locke proposed the principle of separation of power which specifies how powersare shared between the different arms of government. Within the framework of the principle of separation of powers, the Inter-Parliamentary Union [IPU] (2007) noted that the legislature’s mandate is to propose lawswithin which the executive is held accountable. Based on the suggestion of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, there is a need for supervision, monitoring, and review of government activities as well as policy implementation. Therefore, Inter-Parliamentary Union recommended that legislative performance is premeditated to: prescribe, supervise, evaluate, spot, and prevent abuse of any arbitrary behavior, or unconstitutional and illegal government or public agencies’ comportment; ensure government accountability concerning the way and manner in which taxpayers monies are utilized; ensure parliamentary policy authorization of government announced policies are effectively delivered; enhance the operational transparency of government and boost government's public trust, which is vital to effective policy delivery.

Since most of the time, a legislative house cannot look into the matters that are more closely than the subdivision of its members, they often rely on committees to do so (Dan-Azumi, 2019).

Committees help the legislature develop and implement policies or procedures to address specific problems or issues.This explanation was further strengthened by the provisions of Section 62(1) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution, which states that the House of Representatives or the Senate may appoint a committee for any purpose that it deems fit. Given the constitutional basis, the existence of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta as one of the Committees in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria becomes justified. To achieve its legislative mandate, scholars have developed various tools like interpellation, question, question time, etc. (Pelizzo, 2011; Abiola, 2018) to be employed by the Committee. Although these tools fit into two general conditions of oversight espoused by Abiola (2018). Explicitly, while necessary conditions define the tools of oversight themselves, sufficient condition underlies the degree of use of the oversight tools. However, a study by Abiola, Asemota, and Ahmadu (2018) showed that Nigeria has almost all oversight toolsbut corruption concerns continue to mount irrespective.

In fact, recent revelations o the diversion of N6.2Bn COVID-19 fund and N139Bn fraud by the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] board (Punch Nigeria, 2020, 22nd October) confirm the assertion by Abiola (2018) on the existence of corruption in public administration regardless of the abundance of oversight tools. To illustrate, the probe of Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC where startling revelations of financial mismanagement were made, brings to the fore a question on the sufficiency of the oversight tools deployed by the  Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs which has jurisdiction over the NDDC (Premium Times Nigeria, 2020, 11th August). Nevertheless, given the place of the Senate Committee on  Niger Delta Affairs in representing the views of the people of the Niger Delta region through its oversight mandate, this study would evaluate the performance of oversight by the Committee in the 7th and 8th Assemblies.

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