Ex-Buhari aide faults NASS overreach on private companies oversight

John Alechenu

Abuja: Senator Ita Enang, a former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, has faulted National Assembly committees for overstepping their oversight powers by probing private companies.

He hinged his criticisms on what he described as the legislator’s seeming lack of respect for judicial pronouncements limiting their powers in this area.

Enang, who had at various times served as councilor, member of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, before serving as presidential liaison officer, explained that the lawmakers ought to understand the limits of their powers.

He said this while presenting a paper at a workshop organised by the Senate Press Corps on the theme, “Parliamentary reporting: Issues, challenges and responsibilities.”, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

Enang who is also a lawyer by training cited a case: DHL International Nigeria Ltd v. Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2018), to buttressed his argument.

He recalled that Justice Ayokunle Faji who gave the judgement held that private firms do not fall within the scope of Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, which empower the legislature to summon individuals or entities.

The former presidential aide, also referee to the Court of Appeal judgment in NECA v. Attorney General of the Federation, where Justice J.H. Sankey ruled that parliamentary oversight extends only to government bodies funded by public money, not to private companies.

He said, “It is an abuse of power when committees descend into the arena of the executive or the private sector,” Enang said.

Enang also agreed with a recent petition by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), which accused lawmakers of harassment through endless summons.

While speaking on the subject of parliamentary reporting, Enang told journalists at the gathering “This is not an ordinary beat. You must read the bills, know the Constitution, and understand parliamentary procedure.

“Otherwise, you are simply chasing controversies rather than reporting substance.”

He queried the practice among some journalists who find delight in highlighting side comments and disagreements in plenary while neglecting the substance of bills under debate.

Enang further said, “I have seen situations where a member comes to debate an amendment bill without even looking at the principal Act being amended. If you don’t understand the bill, how can journalists report it?”

The former federal lawmaker reminded reporters that they are “the institutional memory of the legislature” and that their coverage serves as precedent for new and returning members. He called for regular training through the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.

He warned against complacency in defending democracy, adding, “Do not think what the legislature or executive does is their business. It is your democracy. If you sit and do nothing, when problems come, it will fall on every head.”

The ex-senator, who was once accused of “stealing the budget” during his time as liaison officer, appealed to journalists to aspire beyond the press gallery and take a shot at political participation.

“Others have done it. Abike Dabiri was once a journalist like you. You too can,” he said.

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