Dogara decries non-execution of N’Assembly resolutions

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, yesterday expressed concern over the non-implementation of resolutions taken on the floor of the lower legislative chamber.

In a keynote address at the retreat for chairmen and deputy chairmen of the committees of the House, he maintained that a decision of the legislature cannot be said to be a mere expression of opinion.

He disclosed that the House would engage the office of the Presidential Liaison Office to the National Assembly as well as explore the possibility of taking the issue of non-implementation of resolutions to the court of public opinion as a means of redressing the problem.

Enjoining chairmen of Committees to redouble their efforts aimed at discharging their responsibilities, he reminded them on the need to avoid acts that could tarnish the image of the lower legislative chamber.

He noted: “We have often been told that Nigeria’s problem is not so much of want of good policies but effective implementation of policies. Nigerians rely on you to ensure effective policy implementation through oversight of the MDAs. If we accuse the Executive Arm of failure to implement policies and delivery of social services as expected, the legislative committees are there to correct this cancerous anomaly.

“This brings us to the issue of poor implementation of Resolutions of the Legislature by the Executive. Short of making resolutions laws, which would be an aberration, we should find innovative ways of making our resolution taken seriously by the Executive. We would engage the office of the Presidential Liaison Office to the National Assembly in delivering and monitoring resolutions and legislations.

“The House of Representatives will in due course consider the possibility of publishing major House Resolutions in the media and introduce the matter in the court of public opinion.

The House Committee on Legislative Compliance is also tasked to collate all resolutions of the House of Representatives and report to the House quarterly on the level of implementation by the Executive.

“I must advise that contrary to popular belief, Resolutions of the National Assembly has been held by the courts to have legal force. In Mallam El-Rufai v. House of Representatives, FRN (No.2) (2003 – 2007) Vol.3 LLRN, Page 1404, the court said: “..There are three arms of the federal structure, Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.