Buhari not a dictator – Rep member

…despite President Buhari’s antecedents as a former military dictator, he is making remarkable improvements in democratic governance than his predecessors.

Against the allegations of being a dictator leveled against him especially by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), President Muhammadu Buhari is less dictatorial than his predecessors, a member of the House of Representative, Hon. Emmanuel Orker-Jev has said.

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Emmanuel noted that despite President Buhari’s antecedents as a former military dictator, he is making remarkable improvements in democratic governance than his predecessors.

Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on the legislative activities of the 8th House in its one year anniversary, he pointed out that in the past, some resolutions passed by the legislature were ignored by serving ministers or members of the executive arm of government.

He however observed that there has been an improvement with the compliance to resolutions passed by the House unlike in the immediate past administration where heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, ignored National Assembly resolutions by rushing to obtain court orders or by Presidential backing.

According to him, “If you recall there was a time in this country, I’m talking about compliance with resolutions of the House, there was a time in this country that Parliament will pass a resolution for a member of the executive arm of government to come, they will resist and get the protection of the Presidency or they would go to court and get a restraining order.

“I think there is an improvement, if you consider that President Buhari was a military Head of State and during his campaign, a lot of people made a case that he would continue acting like a dictator.

“He has come and he is showing remarkable difference from his antecedents as a military dictator, unfortunately, it is those we expect should know better that failed to comply with the resolutions. You have the Attorney General of the Federation who advised against the implementation of the resolution of the National Assembly when the House took a resolution that Kogi Assembly be closed as a result of the crisis there.

“The Inspector General complied, unfortunately the advice came thereafter and it was opened up. People know that this is a democracy and it must be respected, things will get better but for now, I think it is a learning process”, he stressed.

Orker-Jev disclosed that in the first one year of the 8th House, a total of 530 motions were introduced, 63 passed as resolutions, 20 withdrawn, 446 referred to committees and one deferred.