Following the appeal by the House of representative members to donate 50% of their salary to support economic growth, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has recommended the implementation of a part-time legislature at both federal and state levels to cut government costs.
He expressed this suggestion in an interview published on his verified Facebook page over the weekend.
According to Senator Orji Kalu (APC-Abia North), the implementation would significantly reduce government expenditure and enhance public trust in the political system.
The former Abia state governor stated, “I think it will be a very good idea if my colleagues and other members of the Houses of Assembly will agree that we can sit for three months and do constitutional amendment first”.
He also suggested that the legislative body convene four times a year, with provisions for emergency sessions as required. This would allow efficient operations without the need for full time legislative operation: “Not only the Senate and the House of Representatives, but all the legislative houses in Nigeria will be part-time,” he added.
Speaking further, he advocated for a regional government to promote part-time legislature as another cost-saving alternative.
“If we’re going for a regional government, it also means that the ministers, the legislators, will be the same. I’ve been tinkering with the idea of how we can save money to run Nigeria because the country needs money,” he explained.
The senator urged the President and the National Assembly to consider these legislative changes, emphasising their potential to benefit the entire nation.
He also addressed the common misconception that senators receive excessive compensation, highlighting the need for a constitutional amendment to facilitate part-time legislative sessions.
“That will bring trust and bring relief to the Nigerian people,” Kalu concluded.
Senator Uzor Kalu’s submission on reducing sitting time of the legislature might solve half of the problem of cost of governance. The cost of governance has continuously been a problem of the economy in the country.
