The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has cleared the air on the notion that the 9th National Assembly is a rubber stamp, stating that the collaboration between the legislature and the executive is to better the lives of Nigerians.
Lawan said the prevailing harmonious relationship between the arms of government made the ninth National Assembly the most productive since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.
He disclosed that President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd.), had so far signed into law 84 bills passed by the ninth Assembly, the largest by any Nigerian President.
Lawan made the disclosure in a paper which he delivered at the just concluded 3rd Year Ministerial Performance Review Retreat held at the State House, Abuja.
His paper was titled: “Collaboration to deliver: Fostering Executive/Legislative relationship and opportunities for legacy legislation.”
Lawan stated that his presentation was “best understood within the context of our presidential system of government and the doctrine of the separation of powers.”
He noted that the three arms of government are separate but interdependent, and the ultimate goal of each is to deliver good governance and meet the aspirations of all Nigerians.
He said, “Many Nigerians have come to construe harmonious executive-legislative relations as a sign of weakness or subservience to the executive. Nothing can be further from the truth than this misperception, which we must painstakingly work to correct.”
The senate president added that it is not uncommon for some to view the three arms of government as occupying separate and identifiable domains of power and responsibility, with little opportunity or need for interaction.
“However, this kind of dualism is not only untenable but damaging. It is now widely recognised that good national governance depends on core state institutions working cooperatively. A constructive relationship between the three arms of government, i.e., legislature, the executive and the judiciary, is essential to effectively maintaining the constitution and promoting the rule of law.
