THE BASIC ROLE THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLAY IN THE NATION BUILDING

The eight national assembly of the federal republic of Nigeria was inaugurated on June 9, 2015 and the assembly will run its business till June 9, 2015. 

The 8^th national assembly of Nigeria constitute 360 members of the house of representative and 109 members of the Senate as provided by the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

An election was conducted in the senate house for the election of the president of the senate and senator Bukola Saraki was nominated as a candidate for the office of the president of the senate by senator Ahmed Sani Yerima and was seconded by senator Dino Malaiye of Kogi west. Following the absence of the other aspirant for the office in the person of Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, senator Bukola Saraki was declared the winner by the clerk of the house after the clerk had asked if there was any other nomination. Senator Ike Ekweremadu who was the deputy senate president of the 6^th and 7^th National Assembly was re-elected following his nomination by senator George Thompson Sekibo.  Ekweremadu polled a total votes of 54 to defeat senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who polled only 20 votes.

In the house of representative, an election was conducted by the clerk of the house after two hours of voting process, honorable Yakubu Dogara emerged as the speaker of the Nigeria house of representatives.

Dogara was sworn in by the clerk, Alhaji Maikasuwa and he assumed office as speaker of the Nigerian House of Representative at around 4.45pm. 

THE BASIC ROLE THE 8^TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PLAY IN THE NATION BUILDING

The roles of the national assembly under our constitution extend to the following key areas”

a.     Law making

b.     Control over state funds

c.      Oversight the other branches of government in areas that are coterminous with the legislative powers.

d.     Receipts and disposal petitions.

e.      Screening of nominees for executive appointment.

f.       Quassi – judicial functions in indicting and impeaching the executive and

g.     Protecting democracy by emphasizing representation as well as open debate of state affairs.

·        Under the doctrine of separation of power, the constitutionally allotted responsibility in law making is coached in the following terms: “4(1) The legislative powers of the federal republic of Nigeria shall be vested in the National Assembly for the federation which shall consist of a senate and a house of representatives” and (2) explains the scope of that power to by providing that “the National Assembly shall have power to make law for the peace, order and good government of the federation or any part thereof with respect to any matter included in the exclusive list set out in part of the second schedule to this constitution”.

·        Any  matter not included in the exclusive list set out in part 1 of the second schedule to this constitution.

·        Any other matter with respect to which it is empowered to make laws in accordance with the provision of this constitution.

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    The legislative is under the constitution vested with the power to control public funds in the following terms.  Section 80 (3) “No money shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the federation, other than the consolidated fund of the federation, unless the issue of that money has been authorized by an Act of the National Assembly”.

·         

 To this end, the executive is required by the constitution to lay before the legislative estimates of the revenue and expenditure for the following financial year. This estimate which comes to the floor of the legislative house as money bill must be passed, approved and passed into laws by parliament before executive can spend from the budget.

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One of the constitutional tools in the hand of the national assembly is ensuring that the principle of checks and balances are maintained particularly with the rampant corruption and profligacy within the governing system of the country this role of the national assembly is one that must be guided jealously and used very purposefully.

This is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government form crimes committed in office. The actual trial on those charges, and subsequent removal of an official on conviction on those charges, is separate from the act of impeachment itself.

Section 143 of the constitution make provision for  the removal of the president from office by way of the impeachment process by which the executive could be tried for gross offences alleged against him and if found guilty by the national would be removed from office.

REFERENCES

1.     Google

2.     Columnist – Handbeat – Function of the legislature

3.     Wikipadia

4.     Pmnewsnigeria.com retrieved 10 June 2015.2

5.     Premium Times Nigeria. Retrieved 10 June 2015.3

6.     The Punch – Nigeria’s most widely read news paper retrieved 18 June 2015.4