The lawmaker representing Abia North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Orji Kalu, has backed calls for a part-time legislature at both federal and state levels.
According to an interview posted on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, Kalu said the move would help reduce the cost of governance and boost the people’s trust in government.
The former Governor of Abia state also supported calls for a constitutional amendment.
He said, “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.
“So we can sit four times a year, and if there’s any emergency, there will be emergency sitting. We can come to do a presidential bid on that basis and go back instead of sitting on a full-time basis.
“Not only the Senate and the House of Representatives but all the legislative houses in Nigeria will be part-time.”
Kalu also stated that regional government is another viable alternative of reducing the cost of governance, amid the worsening economic situation of the country.
He added, “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.
“I will encourage the President, the National Assembly to make these kinds of laws. This will help him, and this will help the system, and this will help everybody.”
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation stated that contrary to misconceptions among Nigerians, Nigerian senators are not paid enough.
He noted, “But I want Nigerians and my colleagues to do a quick constitutional amendment so we can go and be a part-time sitting Senate and part-time sitting House of Representatives and other 36 state houses of assembly in Nigeria.
“That will bring trust and bring relief to the Nigerian people.”
