Spokesperson of the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has revealed the extent of demands placed on lawmakers by their constituents, including requests for financial support for naming ceremonies and house projects.
The lawmaker disclosed this while defending the current full-time structure of the National Assembly during an interview on Channels Television on Friday.
Reacting to calls for Nigeria to adopt a part-time parliamentary system, Adaramodu warned that such a move would threaten democratic governance in the country.
He argued that lawmakers are deeply integrated into the lives of their constituents, often called upon to provide personal and communal support.
“We go home almost every time and we are the ones when they give birth to a new baby, they ask for naming ceremony funds. When they are building a new house, it is from us they ask for assistance.
“So, if the parliament was not there, who do you expect that our constituents would run to?” he said.
The Ekiti South Senatorial District lawmaker and member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) insisted that Nigeria’s democracy would be at risk if the legislative arm was reduced to a part-time body.
“A part-time parliament would mean a part-time democracy,” he said.
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Adaramodu noted that the 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives perform more than just lawmaking duties — they carry out oversight functions and advocate for the needs of the people they represent.
“If the parliament is on part-time, then it means democracy is on part-time. There is no democracy that derides its parliament and thrives,” he said.
He added that among the three arms of government, the legislature is the most accessible to the people.
“The parliament is not just to sit down at the plenary and make laws alone. And when we make laws, we follow it up.”
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