The member representing Ilorin South and East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. Ali Ahmad, has said that the National Assembly should be vibrant to ensure good governance and sustenance of the nation’s democracy.
He stated that there can be no development or dividends of democracy without vibrant legislature, adding that the legislative arm of government is what differentiates a military regime from a democratic government as the executive and judicial arms of government had always been there.
The Rep member spoke to journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State, Sunday, on the sidelines of the passage of 10 bills which he sponsored into laws between Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to him, the bills will be sent to the Senate for concurrence.
Ahmad, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Justice, urged Nigerians to work to ensure that the legislature is very strong. He stated that whichever party that controls it does not matter, but that the legislature has to be powerful and independent.
According to him, if not for the vibrancy of the current National Assembly, the executive would have engaged in excess impunity.
He also said that quality of legislation will boost good governance and national development.
Ahmad said, “The 10 bills were passed into law between Tuesday and Wednesday. The affected bills include Maintenance Orders Act (meant for registration of regional courts); the Loan Act; the bill that will reflect the change in the name of the National Hospital Abuja as it is known today from its old name of National Hospital for Women and Children.
“Others are Military-era laws that have become moribund like the Family Economic Advancement Programme Act, the Family Support Trust Fund Act, and the People’s Bank of Nigeria Act.
“Other anachronistic laws expunged from our law books are the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank Act, the Nigerian Bank for Commerce and Industry Act (replaced by the Bank of Industry Act), National Commission for Rehabilitation Act (meant for internally displaced people), and Federal Savings Bank Act.
“This is the first time in the history of the House of Representatives that 10 bills sponsored by an individual would be passed into law within one week. If legislators continue to work hard in this fashion, our body of laws will become lively and reflective of the reality of our time.
“The foundation for this ground breaking exercise was laid in May 2013 when I brought to the notice of the House the continued existence of anachronistic laws in our statute books”.
