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Okorocha: cut number of senators, reps
The cost-saving campaign of the Federal Government won a convert in Senator Rochas Okorocha, who, on Thursday, called for a drastic reduction in the number of legislators in the National Assembly.
Okorocha, representing Imo West, proposed the reduction as part of efforts to reduce cost of governance while contributing to debate on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) at plenary, the Nation reported.
According to him, states can do with a senator and three House of Representatives members each.
The former Imo governor gave his views in a chat with the press corps after he raised the issue on the floor of the Red Chamber.
Okorocha regretted that the nation can no longer generate adequate to fund its development, hence the need to reform the country in unusual terms.
The senator plans to sponsor a bill to that effect in the Senate at the appropriate time.
He said: “I do not know what we are doing differently today in the ninth senate from what you did in the eighth Senate and the Seventh Senate and other previous Senate.
“If what we are doing today is similar to what have been doing in the past then be rest assured that the product will be the same.
“Mr. Senate President, change your ways, change your styles, let’s change our style and if we change our style, we get a new result. How do we change our style?
“We are the pivot upon which the wheel of government must rotate. Sometimes we blame the executive and judiciary but it is what we give to the executive they will do. They are waiting for us.
“The failure of the budget or the success of the budget depends on this. What do we have differently? The problem that we have now is money but we do not have money for our needs and to support the needs of Nigeria which is to create jobs and put food on the table.”
“This arises from the fact that we depend on one source of income called oil, this same oil constitute over 60 per cent of our revenue apart from Customs and 90 per cent of our foreign reserve.
“This same oil is static and fast reducing while the population of Nigeria is increasing in geometrical progression. So oil cannot meet it.
“A people like us should look inward. So, let us cut our coats according to our available material not according to our size.
“Let me give you a typical example on how to run this year’s budget to achieve our target equal.
“Here we have three senators per state. In that National Assembly over there (House of Reps) there are over 360 eligible human beings in this small building.
“This country must begin to make sacrifices and cut down on the cost of governance we must start it, painful as it may be.
“Now our Constitution provides that we have three Senators per state. What will the three Senators per state be doing that one Senator per state cannot do?
“What are we doing in the House of Representatives with over 360 members and each of these persons create demands on the system. We must cut down on the cost of governance.
“What we need to have under the present ugly situation which our Constitution forced on us is to have one Senator per state and three members of the House of Representatives per state.
“And secondly the budget should be skewed to fund the productive sector of the economy. Government is business,” he said.
Okorocha quoted Senate President Ahmed Lawan as saying in his response: “Your contribution could be translated into a bill if you want a state to have only a senator, it requires a constitutional amendment.
“So, you have the opportunity to present a bill for the amendment of the relevant sections of the Constitution which provides for three senators per state.
“I think my personal opinion is that the National Assembly and the legislators are tasked to think deep and wide on how we can increase revenue no matter how big or small and prudently and efficiently applied.
“That requires total, comprehensive and holistic oversight of the executive arm of government. This we must do and we must not fail in that.”
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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