Vibrant, Reliable Legislature Will Engender Socio-economic Development -- Ex-Lawmaker

AKURE - Lawmaker, who represented Akoko South East/Akoko South West Federal Constituency in the Eighth Assembly (2015-2019), Hon. Kolawole Babatunde has declared that only a vibrant and reliable legislature can engender good governance and socio-economic development in the nation.

He stated this while delivering a lecture entitled: "A Vibrant Legislature As A Panacea To Strengthening Democracy In Nigeria," at the legislative summit organized by the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS) in Akure on Saturday.

The ex-lawmaker noted that for this to be achieved, the existing constitutional arrangement "which ties the victory of the President with that of the National Assembly members has resulted into unnecessary control of Assembly activities by the President (Executives), needed to be amended.

He explained, "The arrangement also undermines the system of checks and balances and separation of powers.

According to him, "Legislature as a separate organ of government, plays a crucial role in ensuring the entrenchment of good governance in the State.

"It has been universally acknowledged that for good governance to be achieved there must be a vibrant legislature.

"Ironically, Nigeria's Democracy is still called nascent after decades of practice; this is because the political class has made it difficult to have ideal good governance as enshrined in the country's constitution."