Former Governor of Abia State, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, has supported the push for a part-time legislative system for both state and federal lawmakers.
The former Senate Chief Whip, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Abia North senatorial district, mentioned that this approach could assist the country in reducing expenses and improving the public’s confidence in the government.
He made this statement during a conversation during the weekend.
Stressing further on the call for a part-time legislature, Senator Kalu said, “I think it will be a very good idea if my colleagues and other members of the Houses of Assembly will agree that we can sit for three months and do constitutional amendment first.
“So we can sit four times a year, and if there’s any emergency, there will be emergency sitting. We can come to do a presidential bid on that basis and go back instead of sitting on a full-time basis.
“Not only the Senate and the House of Representatives but all the legislative houses in Nigeria will be part-time.”
Senator Kalu asserted that this would be included in efforts to cut expenses in governing, suggesting that regional governance could serve as a suitable alternative.
“If we’re going for a regional government, it also means that the ministers, the legislators, will be the same. I’ve been tinkering with the idea of how we can save money to run Nigeria because the country needs money.
“I will encourage the President, the National Assembly to make these kinds of laws. This will help him, and this will help the system, and this will help everybody,” he said.
Kalu explained that contrary to misconceptions among Nigerians, senators are not paid enough.
“But I want Nigerians and my colleagues to do a quick constitutional amendment so we can go and be a part-time sitting Senate and part-time sitting House of Representatives and other 36 state houses of assembly in Nigeria.
“That will bring trust and bring relief to the Nigerian people,” the ex-governor said.
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