By Aaron Ossai
Nigeria’s democracy is facing existential threat especially at the state level unless something is done to reverse the trend of incessant impeachment of Speakers of States Houses of Assembly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara has said.
Delivering a speech to welcome back lawmakers from the Christmas/New year break in plenary on Tuesday, the Speaker drew the attention of his colleagues to the recent spate of impeachment of state Houses of Assembly speakers which he said, portents grave danger to Nigeria’s democracy.
“The recent spate of impeachment of Speakers of Houses of Assembly of States gives cause for grave concern,” he said.
“While we recognize the constitutional right of the legislature to conduct its internal affairs including the right to hire and fire its leadership, it presents a different scenario where such leadership hiring and firing is rife with accusations and insinuations of external influence and also devoid of extant procedure.
“Leaders everywhere can only function efficiently where there is certainty that commendation is the reward for good leadership and sanction the consequence of inept leadership.
Dogara argued that Nigerian legislature needs to be afforded an opportunity to blossom if our democracy is to ever mature into adulthood.
Already, the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution is considering bills that will grant financial autonomy to the state Houses of Assembly.
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