Dogara: Executive rarely returns legislature’s offer of cooperation

Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, says the “executive hardly reciprocates national assembly’s gesture of cooperation”.

He said this, on Tuesday, at the 16th Commonwealth speakers and presiding officers’ conference, African region, in Abuja.

Dogara said for good governance to thrive in Africa, there must be cooperation and collaboration between the legislature and the executive.

He urged legislature across Africa to “break their people free from dictatorship” by building strong institutions that will drive socio-economic development and lift the people out of poverty.

He said this could be achieved through the establishment of networks and building of coalition among the African legislatures.

“Africa is in a hurry to develop and such development can only be achieved with the replacement of weak institutions with strong ones,” he said.

“It is, therefore, the duty of parliaments across Africa to free our people from the shackles of strong men by ensuring that strong institutions replace the later thereby ending this pervasive curse on the African continent once and for all.

“Africa is in a hurry to develop, it is in a hurry to vanquish poverty, ignorance and disease. Our people have no patience for squabbles between various organs of government and it is the duty of the presiding officer to ensure that the legislature supports the executive for good governance to thrive while maintaining its relative independence.

“The legislature as the first institution of democracy must sacrifice more in this endeavour even if the gesture is not often returned by the executive.

“Even though in most presidential systems of government, personnel and functions are separated, it is true to say that government departments or arms of government in modern times have overlapping functions and responsibilities, and must, therefore, work together as one government serving the people’s needs and aspirations.”