Why Ministers, PSs, DGs, Others Disrespect Legislators -Shehu Sani

A former Senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District at the upper legislative chamber, Shehu Sani, has said ministers and other heads of departments and agencies of government lack respect for lawmakers in the countries because of incessant requests for favours the legislators usually place on them.

Sani, who lost his reelection bid to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in February 2019 said some lawmakers inundated ministers, permanent secretaries and other heads of establishments with requests for contracts,.job placements among other things.

The former lawmaker said this in a tweet he posted on his official Twitter handle on Sunday .

He added that unnecessary summons by legislature to these heads of government agencies were also causing them to disrespect the lawmakers.

The tweet reads, “Why heads of MDAs disrespect legislators; legislators’ incessant requests for favours in form of contracts or job slots. Needless summons by committees.

“Unofficial visits by committee heads to MDAs.The subservient badge of the legislators.The integrity of d committee chair(men) and members.”

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari recently warned ministers and others not to disrespect the National Assembly and its members.

The warning was issued by the President after the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, accused lawmakers of seeking to hijack the recruitment for the Federal Government temporary jobs.

Also, the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission walked out on a House of Representatives committee probing the NDDC’s finances.

The leadership of the NDDC accused the chairman of the committee probing the commission of corruption. He said he would only appear before the committee if the chairman resigned.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs , Senator Godswill Akpabio, also accused members of the National Assembly of getting contracts from the commission. He, however, withdrew the allegation when they threatened to sue him if he did not mention the names of the lawmakers that collected the contracts.

Buhari siad in the warning made public by his.media.aide, Garba Shehu, “Any disrespect to the institution by any member of the executive branch will not be accepted.

“Ministers and all heads of departments and agencies should at all times conduct themselves in ways that will not undermine the National Assembly as an institution, its leadership and members.”