Legislative Oversight in Nigeria: a Watchdog or a Hunting Dog?

Abstract

This article investigates the activities of the legislature on its legislative oversight functions and the effectiveness of this organ in ensuring and sustaining good governance in Nigeria polity. Legislative oversight, a robust mechanism institutionalized to checkmate the excesses of the  executive arm of government and government agencies to curb waste in governance, corruption and absolutism in the exercise of political power, has been under criticism as to its relevance in democracy. The study revealed that the legislative oversight, a critical aspect of the functions of the legislature other than law making, have been severally compromised and often misused as a hunting dog. The article harps on the fact that inasmuch as the essence of legislative oversight in a democratic dispensation needs not be overemphasized, the legislature has reduced this all important function to mere alarm mechanism being used to blackmail or witch-hunt political opponents, extortion of money from the parastatals and ministries under its supervision for selfish or personal aggrandizement. It is being recommended that constitutional and/or legal teeth be structured for effective and efficient legislative oversight, as a watchdog on the executive arm and its agencies, to bite culprits as deterrent.

Keywords:Legislative Oversight, Checks and Balances, Good Governance, Accountability.