Reference:


My friend it is not pretty. A good paint job on a defective structure is useless. It will all come down one day. What you see in the House is the crucible of corruption. The melting pot of compromises. The Lower House is founded on the fraud called census (Boko Haram insurgency has proven the sheer number of aliens bolstering the north's population), the Upper House is founded on the lie called 'equal number of federating units (when the South-East has fewer states in its zone).

My friend can you see how socio-political imbalances and injustice is costing us dearly in cash and kind and how it leads to corruptive compromises to seek rebalances like an adult and kid on opposite sides of a see-saw.

Have you ever asked yourself why there is barely any debate there and arguments are always on personal grounds and benefits and why the opposition and ruling party members appear the same in attitude, approach, disposition, morality, etc. No difference. In other countries the greatest divides in ideologies and approach between political parties occur amongst law makers. Worldwide legislature is always fractured, heated. Here it is padi-padi all the time. The system is not working well. It is structurally deficient. The Nigerian state is. It is not beautiful. It is draped in black mourning apparel.

AreaFada2:

That makes sense. More than about 250 MPs is sheer waste of time.

Rather, something like National Council (like the German Bundesrat) instead of current Council of State parading former coup plotters. Comprising President, VP, current Supreme court chief Justice, Federal Attorney- General, every state gov & FCT minister and possibly 2 other reps from each state. Can be deputy gov & state attorneys-general.

This NC can deliberate on laws passed by the Federal parliament before presidential assent and some other functions to ensure that the unicameral parliament is doing its job in a balanced way. To meet once monthly. Nobody should be paid extra to do this, except where the president summons the NC in emergency, when sitting expenses can be paid.

kestolove95:
The color of dia seat...lower chambers is green while upper chamber is. red...and dia level of. stealing differs

Tolexander:
only the lower house can impeach.

After the impeachment exercise by the house of representative by the majority, the senate makes the trial with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding on the trial. If the President is convicted by two-third majority, the president will be removed.

soe:
May i have your attention please.

Nigeria runs what we call a " binocular bicameral legislator"

In other words, the job of one legislative arm is handled by two.

The reason is very simple.

The Senate reflects Equality of states

36 states produce 3 senators, FCT produces 1.
(36*3)+1=109senators with equal power


The House of Reps reflects the equality of every citizen.

In this case, every state is given rep mrmbers based on their actual population. Lagos has one of the highest number of honourables (24), same as kano (24), then bayelsa and nasarawa are the least with 5 seats each before FCT (2 seats). But the total number of honourables is 360.

The senate was created because most states felt cheated based on the population thingy, so we decided to make all states have the equality in the senate.

I hope you understand?

CFCfan:

Interesting.
Would the National Council have veto powers or will they just be merely an advisory body?

agabusta:


It still means the senate can 'technically impeach' then. It's just that their constitution did not call it impeachment but trial. And only difference is that the Chief justice chairs the sitting but only the senators votes.

kestolove95:
The color of dia seat...lower chambers is green while upper chamber is. red...and dia level of. stealing differs

teebidap:
uhnmmm uhnmmmm cough*

i call the upper chambers members the senaDONs and lower chamber members the RespresentaTHIEVES.. Different in spellings but one ambition,its called EMBEZZLING..However lets ask ourselves,i[b]f na u dey the position today,will u beat them or join them[/b][b][/b] !!!

AreaFada2:
.

It can have mixed function, but veto power in certain areas. Such as creation of new states, constitutional amendment & devolution of power to states. State Houses of Assembly already have powers concerning wholesale change of Federal constitution.

If not full veto, it should certainly have the powerful to push bills back to parliament for reconsideration & amendments.

This would ensure a unicameral parliament does a thorough job before asking for presidential assent.

This would also allay the fear of some that the party with majority in the House can use support of smaller allied parties to pass bills, with other relatively big parties having no say. NC would be a "checkpoint" before assent.

CFCfan:

Hmm. I'm not really in favor of a relatively small group of unelected people having any veto powers over bills passed by an elected legislature.
I would prefer that the NC be a strictly advisory body, while the president should have the sole authority of vetoing bills. A president's veto could force the parliament to reconsider the bill and look into the president's rationale for the veto.
If they MPs decide to make changes to the bill favorable to the president, they could subsequent forward it again for his/her assent.

Equalizer:
Talking about equal representation at the upper house(Senate), what can one say about a situation whereby some geopolitical zones has seven states(3*7=21) and some has only five states(3*5=15).. Is there any equality in this political mathematics?

AreaFada2:
.

True, but among them are elected people. President, VP, govs, deputy govs etc.

Ultimately, the presidents signs the bill or refuse to. But I think the input of stakeholders from the states would be important IN CERTAIN CASES.
This would not include defence, foreign policy, national economy/budget etc.

Hopefully by then, there would already be State police service.

CFCfan:

Sounds workable..
Also, the states would have their own constitutions by then; which would, among other things, be the sole determinant of the size and structure of LGs, set the term limits for state and local political office holders, and revamp the SIECs to conduct gubernatorial and state legislative elections.

Creamz:
The major difference is the scope they cover. While the members of House of Representatives cover just 2 local government areas in most instances, the senate covers as much as 5 to 8 or 9 local government. And to be a Senator you must be 35 years and above while for a house member 30.

curiouses:
They have no distinct functions. It is like the case of Federal and state ministers. Senate has more power than house of rep. Since it is a two-house system, a bill can not pass into law without both agree on it.

greatsodade:



Ibo man done start marginalisation theory again oo abi...and am sure u re referring to NC and NW vs SE...
Let's do some mathematics this way...
NC zone has 7, if one of them let say benue state is added to SE zone, ur zone too will have 6 states. Be dat and the rep will be 18 too...am sure u'll nt like it dat way cos u'll want it to be six Ibo states alone in one zone....Greedy man...a whole zone is allocated to ur tribe alone and ur are here proofing marginalisation theory....mind u those other region/zone re a mixture of various and different tribes oo...SO STOP SHOUTING and address the real issue bro.

daveP:


Red- steal Dangerously

Green- steal Comfortably

(wipes hands with napkin)

AreaFada2:
.
But as you know very well, there's currently no incentive to decentralise.

The FG just has too much on its plate. Devolution would seriously lighten the burden on FG. But that would also mean loss of some power. Certain sections of Nigeria are vehemently against it.

Skoopy:
One major difference I know of base on function is that, if a bill passes through the senate and is successful, it Is sent to the presidency for ratification and it becomes a law automatically and if the president refuses to sign it to law, the senate can vote. Once 2/3 of it' s becomes vote in support of it. It becomes a law.

Meanwhile

A bill sponsored by the lower house, even when successful (adopted), such will still pass through the senate proceedings for deliberation before it can be adopted as a law if successful. A bill may pass through the lower house but fail in the upper house.

Experts should help us further pls. Put is through cos this is a brilliant thread.

eazisky:
senators are d law makers, they are known as higher chambers, representatives are lower chambers, they dont make laws

Tolexander:
the senate can only act after the impeachment by the lower house and not beginning a trial before the lower house impeachment.

agabusta:


Oh nice one. Alright then. Duly noted.

Equalizer:


So you see no problem with SE having just five states and some northern state dancing shoki with seven states.... hmmmmmm... Daris God oooo..