The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has urged the various arms of the Nigerian government to set aside their differences and work together to ensure the progressive development of the nation.
CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, in a statement issued on Tuesday by the centre’s Media and Publications Officer, Ikenna Aghagbobi, described the security siege laid to the National Assembly was shocking.
He stated: “On reports that some members of the House of Representatives and Senators were prohibited from entering the premises by security agents with ‘Orders from above,’ I think the real questions we should be asking is who is/are these elusive ‘above’ persons making these orders? What are their intentions?
“Because with the recent ‘power-show’ in the country, where the Executive is accused of using security agencies against other arms to achieve whatever aim and the NASS refusing to pass into law, bills presented by the Executive Arm in order to arm-twist the latter to play its bidding, is not healthy for the development of our democratic experiment.”
Adeniran added: “To redeem our already stifling image and return to sanity, the dilapidating state of the nation’s acts of governance, it is imperative that the three arms of government work in synergy to recognise and understand the import of the principles of Separation of Powers and allow it to guide their actions at all times.
“The Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary should understand their various duties and responsibilities, while also having in mind the limits of their connection to one another as this goes hand-in-hand in ensuring that no arm of the government usurps the core functions of another, and also to achieve the ultimate objectives of good and effective governance in the interest of the citizenry.”
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CACOL advised that while the current administration had rooted itself firmly in its tripodal promises of security of lives and property, economic recovery and stemming corruption by bringing corrupt public officials to justice, “it needs to allow the doctrine of checks and balances hold sway so that each arm of government checks the power of the other arms to be sure that every branch has complementary powers with a view to avoiding impunity and arbitrariness.
“This would, to a very large extent, not only minimise to the barest minimum the ongoing intra-government rivalry, but engender their cooperation.”
CACOL also urged that any arm of the government desiring a change of leadership should do so by persuasions and convincing through lobbying those in the position to effect such change on the need and purpose for the change in a democratic manner, rather than do so by barbaric ‘show of force’ through blackmail, violence or coercion.
