Elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, has declared his solid support for the move to transition from a presidential system of government to a parliamentary system in Nigeria.
He spoke when members of the House of Representatives spearheading the transition move paid him a visit.
While speaking on the development on Thursday during the visit in his Kano home, Dantata noted that the parliamentary system is better than the presidential system of government because it is cheaper.
Recall that the House of Representatives has passed, for first reading, the bill seeking to transform the presidential system of government into a parliamentary system.
The bill, sponsored by 60 lawmakers and read for the first time during Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja proposed “constitutional alterations for a transition to a parliamentary system of government”.
Addressing newsmen after the plenary, the spokesperson of the 60-member group, Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto-PDP), explained that the proposed alterations, when passed, would significantly impact the national political landscape.
According to Dasuki, the imperfections of the presidential system of government, over the years, have become glaring to all, despite several alterations to the constitution to address the shortcomings of a system that has denied the nation the opportunity to attain its full potential.
The lawmaker highlighted some of the imperfections perceived as high cost of governance, leaving fewer resources for crucial areas like infrastructure, education, and healthcare, and consequently hindering the nation’s development progress, and the excessive powers vested in the members of the executive, who are appointees and not directly accountable to the people.
He said the bills presented seek a return to the system of government adopted by our founders, which made governance accountable, responsible, responsive, and ultimately less expensive.
Outlining the reasons for the presentation of these bills, Dasuki said the House hopes to ignite and provoke a national conversation about the future of the Nigerian governance system, to ensure robust public debates, stakeholder consultations, expert analyses, and a thorough and informed decision-making process, to raise awareness about the significant development and to encourage constructive dialogue on the potential implications of these proposed constitutional alterations.
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He said: “Today, we stand on the cusp of history, as lawmakers across party affiliations and regional backgrounds come together to present bills proposing Constitutional Alterations that seek a transition to Parliamentary System of Government.
“These bills, seeking to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, advocate a transition from the current presidential system to a parliamentary system at all levels – federal, state, and local government.”
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