In a chat with The Nation in Minna, the state capital, Bosso, who represents Bosso State Constituency in Niger State stated that it is unconstitutional for only one arm of government to be operating for three months without any contribution from the other arms of government.
He stated that the people are suffering and all manner of social menaces are increasing because only one arm of government has been functional for the past three months.
The legislator declared that for the governors to refuse the implementation of section 121 sub-section three of the Constitution which made provision for the autonomy of state houses of assemblies and the judiciary, they have contravened the law and adequate action needed to be taken against them.
“In the Eighth Assembly, there was an amendment in the Constitution. Section 121 sub-section three was an amendment in the Constitution because the people agitated for it. So, what happened from 2018 to date that the governors are saying that they cannot obey the Constitution?
“The refusal of the governors to abide by the provisions of the Constitution has led to the closure of the state houses of assemblies and the judiciary in the 36 states, a situation that has left the two arms non-functional.
“For now, it is only one arm of government that is functioning in Nigeria.”
Bosso called on his colleagues, particularly the Speakers of the 36 state Houses of Assemblies, to appeal with the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) to lift their strike to enable the legislators to invoke the constitutional provisions of section 188 sub-section 11 against the 36 state governors.
“The governors took an oath of office to defend and protect the Constitution of Nigeria but they are not doing so. I don’t think PASAN has to go on strike; the state Houses of Assemblies can invoke the provision of section 188 sub-section 11 of the Constitution gave the legislators the power to serve any governor that violates any provision of the Constitution with an impeachment notice.
“If the governors are saying they cannot obey the provision of Section 121 of the Constitution, it is what is referred to as gross misconduct and this gives the legislators the power to invoke Section 188 sub-section 11 of the Constitution on any governor.
The legislator then lamented that the leaders of the Houses of Assemblies need to sit up and do the needful as they cannot afford to fail, adding that disappointing the people who elected them as their representatives.
“What the PASAN is doing is that they are saving the states from dictatorship which is supposed to be the duty of the state legislators.”
On the just-concluded Constitution Amendment Review exercise, Bosso stated that it was a waste of resources because the amendments would suffer the same fate as the amended section 121 of the Constitution.
He called on the Federal Government and National Assembly to declare a state of emergency on all states across Nigeria because it is unconstitutional for only one arm of government to be operating in the states in the past three months.
