A member of House of Representatives, Hon. Festus Adefiranye has clarified that the National Assembly is solely concerned about accountability in exercising its oversight function, and not to accuse, intimidate or witch-hunt anyone or institution invited for scrutiny.
He gave the clarification on Thursday while taking questions from journalists shortly after he received the Most Outstanding Honourable in Constituency Project Delivery Award for the year in Abuja.
The award, conferred on him by the 10th National Assembly Merit Award, alongside three other members of the house- from Ebonyi, Katsina and Delta states- was in recognition of his efforts in executing infrastructural and social projects in his constituency beyond his other colleagues in the House.
Adefiranye is representing Ile Oluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency of Ondo State in the House.
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According to him, the oversight functions of both the Senate and House of Reps are to monitor and ascertain the monies appropriated on projects are judiciously expended for the intended purposes
He stated that it is a wrong mindset for people to believe that anytime committees of the National Assembly invite respondents to give explanation on their activities, they’re doing so to intimidate or accuse them.
He explained that “The principal responsibility of members of the National Assembly is lawmaking, which includes oversight on all matters for which laws are made and it’s logical that lawmakers check on such subjects to ensure that what’s brought before the Assembly for attention is executed as projected.”
The lawmaker, in a statement, gave the current relationship between the executive and the legislature pass mark, praising leadership of the two chambers for “the effective way they’ve been managing affairs of the legislative bodies, especially by sustaining peace and cooperation among members.”
Adefiranye argued that lawmakers fighting with the executive is never a proof of bravery but a play to the gallery with the consequences of slowdown on development and delay of government process.
According to him, if all the arms of government (the executive, legislature and judiciary) fight themselves in competition for supremacy, how will the society progress and prosper.
Responding to comment that many Nigerians see the 10th National Assembly as rubber stamp to the executive, Adefiranye said people hold such opinion because they don’t understand how government really works.
He said members of the public should assess governance by objectively considering all factors involved rather than using emotion and sentiment, stating that the public stands to benefit more from amiable but honest interdependence of the three arms of government.
The lawmaker disclosed that he had sponsored four bills, two of which were for establishment of a federal medical centre and an entrepreneurship university in communities of his constituency.
He said the reconstruction being executed on Ore-Ondo-Akure Road was as a result of his motion for it and that he’s particularly happy that the rate of accident and death on the highway has significantly reduced since the start of the project.
Adefiranye promised to continue to leverage on his legislative mandate to collaborate with the federal government on further development of his constituency.
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