Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and former Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora have described the executive-legislature relationship as non-negotiable for good governance to thrive in the country; saying that such synergy would enable the people get the dividends of democracy faster than expected.
Speaking at the first Ekiti State Executive-Legislative parley tagged “Towards a Collaboration that works and is sustainable”, held at Iloko Ijesa, Osun State, the Governor said the synergy should be driven by a desire by both organs to join hands in the spirit of comradeship to pursue the best for the largest majority of people at the shortest time possible.
Fayemi said the parley was a recurrent platform where the two arms would sit down and explore all sides to any argument that was in the interest of the people; adding that it was easy to make points that advance narrow agenda but it was far more useful socially to reach beyond partisan boundaries and to take due cognizance of the wider interest.
“No less critical is constitutionalism, the extent to which public office holders in Nigeria are committed to government according to the letters as well as the spirit of the constitution. These are not only matters of the moment; they have long formed the background from which relations between the two arms of government have drawn sustenance and meaning. They are even more critical to relations between the federal and state governments”, the Governor said.
The Governor added that as much as his administration is committed to the actualisation of the 8-point agenda which he described as his pact with Ekiti people, the administration sees the legislature as an “incomparable partner-in-progress, not a resolute competitor for influence”.
In his keynote speech, Mamora, who served two terms in the National Assembly, said that both the executive and legislative arms of government are not totally independent of each other and are expected to exercise “a degree of functional overlap” so that they could collaborate on how to enhance good governance.
Mamora who stressed that lawmakers are not primarily elected to make laws but basically to represent the people who elected them, said the Legislature must work as partners, not competitors, with the executives in achieving the common goal of delivering the good to the people; adding that when there is communication gap between the two arms of government, they may be at loggerheads, hindering the actualization of the set goals.
He said : “You have separation of powers- the executive powers that belong to the executives, legislative power given to the legislsature and the judiciary have judicial powers. All these are within the constitution but over the years, it has been established that there is need for some degree of functional overlap so you now talk of cooperation and interdependence as opposed to absolute independence. If the legislature, for example is to be absolutely independent, then you should just take your business of lawmaking from the first reading, second reading to the passage and then say it is a law but it does not become a law, you still have to send it to the executive for assent before it becomes a law,” Mamora said.
On the clearance of Commissioner nominees, Mamora advised that lawmakers at the state and national levels should always urge the President and state governors to add the proposed portfolio of the nominees so as to prevent an incompetent candidate from manning a ministry that requires a professional.
He said this would help in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency in the ministries.
Citing the American example where President Obama appointed a Republican as a National Security Adviser, Senator Mamora said party influence should be minimized in the appointment of any official while merit should be given attention and importance.
In her speech, the Chairman of the Parley and Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Funmi Olayinka said it was needful for the two arms of government to work together without losing focus on the provisions of the nation’s constitution for the arms’ autonomy; adding that the slogan of the Dr. Fayemi-led administration, Collective Rescue Mission, is a testament that the two arms of government needed to work together to better the lots of the masses.
The Deputy Governor added that both arms of government must continue to find common grounds and agree on best practices to re-structure governance in the interest of the people.
Mrs Olayinka said there is need to formulate policies that are instrumental to the development of the State in the overall interest of the people and urged the legislature to continue to support the executive with enabling legal backings.
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin said the Assembly has given room for a synergy between it and the Executive as it has passed no fewer than 29 laws have been passed in furtherance of the 8-point agenda of the Fayemi-led administration.
Omirin said the Assembly believed that providing an enabling legal framework was a fundamental way to collaborate with the Executive in achieving its set goals.
Last modified: June 15, 2012