Enugu lawmaker and a humanitarian, Rt. Hon. Ikechukwu Ezeugwu, PhD, has voiced out his opinion and suggested a unicameral system for the legislative arm in Nigeria. The leader of Enugu State House of Assembly, while addressing newsmen in Enugu, proposed for a unicameral legislature as opposed to the current Nigerian bicameralism plagued with dwindling resources and rapidly growing population.
Speaking from his wealth of knowledge as an experienced legislator who understands the plight of Nigerian masses, Hon. Ezeugwu opined that " a bicameral legislature encourages duplication of functions, since both chambers perform almost the same role. Bicameral legislature could be a waste of a lot of public funds as the government will try to maintain the two legislative chambers and the paraphernalia that go with them. "
"Considering Nigeria’s meagre resources, rising inflation and foreign debt, there is urgent need that the government should cut cost of governance."
"There is a shortfall in our oil revenue, Nigeria’s foreign capital inflow has sunk drastically, the lowest in recent years. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Nigeria’s economy is at a “critical juncture” and has urged that the value added tax (VAT) should be increased." This will no doubt add to our already too weighty burden on the masses.
"The presidential system of government itself is too expensive to run. Return to the parliamentary system is yet another option. The high cost of governance has made it next to impossible to have good roads, hospitals, schools, and other requisite infrastructural facilities in the country. Something has to be done in terms of reducing these costs. "
"Can our economy sustain the bicameral system of government? We have to be truthful to ourselves, and our actions should suit our circumstances and resources. Is there any need for us to continue with the bicameral system of legislature we are operating amidst hardship?".
" I suggest that we make these front burner issues for discussion within the next four years as we plan ahead. If we succeed in reducing the cost of governance drastically, we would have succeeded in reducing our problems to a very large extent, he said.
