Politics

High turnover rate major hindrance to vibrant legislature – Kwara APC chieftain

 

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, has bemoaned high turnover rate of legislators across the states and the National Assembly, saying it is a major hindrance to the development of a vibrant legislature in Nigeria.
Many state houses of assembly in the country failed to return incumbent lawmakers with Kwara legislature of only one out of twenty-four having one of the highest turnover rates in the country.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony of a leadership training institute, Nation’s Leadership Institute (NLI), in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, at the weekend, its President, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, noted that long history of military regime had also impacted negatively on Nigeria’s legislature.
“Between 1990 and 1999, a period of 39 years, military in Nigeria was in political power for 30 years. This means that the legislature was only in place for nine of the 39 years. The nine years were years of crisis where knowledge and skills of law making could hardly be imparted. Yet, between 1999 and now, the turnover of legislators in the states and National Assembly could hardly allow for the development of vibrant legislature”, he said.
Oyedepo, who was a former lawmaker in Kwara state, also said that authoritarian style of many presidents and governors who were used to military style had impacted negatively on the nation’s legislature.
He also posited that there is leadership deficiency in Africa, saying that a leader “must be one that will use his or her informal power, authority and influence to direct and control other people in the pursuit of a common goal.
“Leadership is not greed, selfish ambition, showmanship, nepotism, sectionalism, tribalism etc. Leaders that exhibit all these tendencies in positions of authority are mere pretenders and they are not leaders properly so called.”
Oyedepo, who said the leadership institute, a post institutional learning facility, would help to correct misconceptions and wrong perceptions of leadership in the country, added that Africa needs a revolution of thought, rather than violent revolution because all violent revolutions, resulting in wars, eventually end up at the discussion table where peace is negotiated.
“What we need in most African countries today is revolution of thought: thoughts that will change our perceptions about the true meaning of political power and authority. Corrupt leaders create their own enemies as their life style and their selfish belief system create material condition for violence”, he said.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button