Rita Odafe
Orji Kalu
Orji Kalu, who represents Abia North in the Senate, has suggested amending the constitution to reduce the number of times federal and state lawmakers assemble to four times a year.
Kalu, a former governor of Abia State, made this suggestion in a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Sunday, July 21.
In the video, Kalu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Privatisation, proposed this amendment as a way to cut down on governance costs.
He explained, “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 from 2027 to sit three months.
He further added, “In three months, we sit for two weeks or three weeks, so we sit four times a year, and if there is 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.
Kalu called on other lawmakers, including President Bola Tinubu and members of the National Assembly, to create laws that would institutionalize the part-time legislature system.
He voiced, “If we are going for a regional government, it also means that the ministers and the legislators will be the same because I have been tinkering with the idea of how we can save money to run Nigeria because Nigeria needs money.”
Kalu urged for immediate constitutional amendments to implement a part-time legislature system.
He stressed, “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 relief to the Nigerian people.”
Regarding salaries, he mentioned that senators should receive competitive pay, highlighting that he and his colleagues receive minimal compensation for their roles.
The President of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Ifeanyi Odili, echoed Kalu’s sentiments, emphasizing that a part-time legislative model could alleviate the economic burden on Nigeria.
Odili stated, “In view of present economic challenges, I think Senator Orji Kalu is not missing the mark as he suggests that National Assembly business should be part-time work and not full-time. It is the same position Campaign for Democracy CD holds.”
He added, “If we must be sincere with ourselves, National Assembly business is better a part-time and not full time that has crippled our nation’s wealth, with virtually no serious business there, rather than going there to share our nation’s cake.”
Odili believed that a part-time legislature would enhance the country’s development and accountability from lawmakers if implemented.
