None of you has invested in public trust – Ezekwesili tackles Saraki, Dogara

Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education, has berated lawmakers for their “inability” to hold the executive accountable.

Describing them as “lemons”, she said neither Senate President Bukola Saraki nor Yakubu Dogara has invested in public trust.

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the former minister attributed the low public trust experienced in the country to the quality of the lawmakers at the national assembly.

“Public trust was always pretty low in our society cos of our checkered experience with military governments,” she wrote.

“The reason we continue after eighteen years of uninterrupted democracy to have low public trust in our society is because of quality of legislature.

“If we ever manage to improve the quality of those that constitute our legislature — national assembly — @HouseNGR & @NGRSenate public trust rises.

“Terrible that neither speaker @YakubuDogara nor senate president @BukolaSaraki have invested in building public trust through legislature integrity.”

The reason we continue after 18 years of uninterrupted Democracy to have LOW PUBLIC TRUST in our society is cos of QUALITY OF LEGISLATURE.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) October 24, 2017

The former vice-president, World Bank (Africa region), said it is tragic that “maybe a few citizens” take the lawmakers serious on any of their hearings on scandals.

She said ordinarily, citizens should hold their legislature in high regard “and therefore have high public trust in government — but we don’t.”

“For as long as individual and institutional integrity of national assembly remains poor in citizens’ rating, executive scandals will soar. Sad.

“To build up our public trust, we direly need a legislature — national assembly that is trusted by citizens to hold executive accountable.

“When executive infractions that our national assembly could have handled with public support keep piling up scandal after scandal, it is tragic.”

For as long as INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY of @nassnigeria remains POOR in citizens' rating, EXECUTIVE SCANDALS will SOAR. SAD.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) October 24, 2017

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When Executive infractions that our @nassnigeria could have handled with Public Support keep PILING UP scandal after scandal, it is TRAGIC.

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— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) October 24, 2017

For there to be high public trust, Ezekwesili said citizens must start taking election of lawmakers “as serious as they do the executive”, adding: “It is in the interest of our democracy that our national assembly is not a weakened arm of government that cannot hold the executive arm to account.

“To entrench the fundamentals of checks and balances in our democracy we need Legislature national assembly that enjoys public confidence. Direly.

“Get ready for legislative elections of 2019. No more sending lemons from constituencies to Abuja. We need an effective national assembly direly.”

It is in the interest of our Democracy that our @nassnigeria is not a WEAKENED arm of Govt that CANNOT hold the EXECUTIVE arm to ACCOUNT.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) October 24, 2017

Get ready for Legislative elections of 2019. No more sending Lemons from constituencies to Abuja. WE need an EFFECTIVE @nassnigeria DIRELY.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) October 24, 2017