The speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has revealed that Nigeria, just like other democracies need good governance and that this can only come through a virile legislature.
Obasa said this while delivering a lecture at a book launch in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state, western Nigeria.
The speaker described the legislative process is an interesting chain of activities, which involves passing of motions into resolutions and bills into laws which, depending on certain circumstances, contribute in one way or the other to national development.
In every nation, he said, the legislature, as the accredited representatives of the people, has the duty of promoting national development through its chain of activities.
According to him, the legislature in Nigeria has the mandate and is under obligation to initiate debate and show concern on matters affecting the generality of people in the country.
“Expectedly such activities should be directed toward reversing declining economy, stabilizing the polity and integrating society with overall aim of enhancing national development.
“Achieving good governance requires the existence of a strong, effective and efficient parliament.
“This is so because the parliament plays a crucial role in gauging, collating and presenting the views and needs of the people, articulating their expectations and aspirations in determining the national development agenda.
“As oversight body, parliament helps to identify problems and policy challenges that require attention and assists in overcoming bureaucratic inertia,” he said.
Obasa, who noted that democracy is all about ensuring popular participation and control of the process of governance, told the guests at the event that the legislature occupies a central role in any democratic setting, arguing that though a government may exist without the legislature, but that without the legislature, democracy is not possible.
“The existence of a parliament may not be synonymous with democracy, but democracy cannot exist without a parliament.
“Put differently, therefore, nation building that is anchored on good governance becomes a colossal task without the parliamentarians.
“As is evident, legislature is a veritable instrument and institution for national development whose effectiveness is determined by some local variables. With the roles of the legislatures all pointing towards good governance, it is not out place to say that, the legislature is the bulwark of any nation,” he said as he spoke on the topic: ‘The Legislature and the Imperatives of Good Governance’.