The totality of the Constitution’s intent is that the legislature should make Laws for the Federal, State and Local Governments, and the Laws made must impact society and keep the state safe and secured at all times through executive actions and inactions.
It is the Laws made by the Legislature that guides the functions of the executive and judiciary in constitutional democracy. The executive arm of government cannot function arbitrarily and must do so in accordance with subsisting laws anchored on proactive and visionary leadership.
The judiciary is saddled with the constitutional responsibility of interpreting the Laws and to dispense justice, and must do so within the ambit of subsisting laws, judicial precedences, court rules and principles of laws as contained in Chapter 7 of the constitution of Nigeria.
The functions of the judiciary also include checking the excesses and decisions of the legislature, and that of the executive, especially actions and inactions that tend to negate certain provisions of the constitution and other subsisting laws; so that the executive and Legislative arms of government does not act ultra vires their powers. The Judiciary is therefore the watchdog of both the executive and legislative arms of government as well as to adjudicate on matters before it, for sustainable law and order in the society.
In the light of the above, the three arms of government are independent but must work together harmoniously in order to bring about good governance. The people are the beneficiaries of the functions of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary arms of government in any country that is practicing constitutional democracy.
The Legislature must not always be at loggerheads with either the judiciary or the executive. The three arms must cooperate at certain levels to ensure that the policies, programmes and good intentions of government for the people and the state are realised through joint efforts. When this happens, progress and development is achieved with ease devoid of unnecessary rancour and economic loses.
In the light of the above, the Delta State 7th Assembly has been adjudged the best in Nigeria, in terms of making good laws, oversight functions, training and capacity building, harmonious working relationship with the executive and the judiciary arms of government; robust deliberations in the hallowed chambers consolidated by a highly proactive leadership offered by the Right Honourable Speaker and Justice of Peace, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori.
Mr Speaker and members of the distinguished 7th Assembly deserves commendation for their selfless service to the state and constituents. The unhindered synergy between the three arms of government saved huge funds for the state, in the sense that when the three arms of government are in cold war with each other, it invariably translates to economic and/or financial loses directly or indirectly.
Disharmony between the executive and legislature or between judiciary and the executive usually impacts negatively on government activities and the people bear the brunt because when two or more elephants fight, it is the innocent grass that suffers.
Delta 7th Assembly sure knows her onions, and it has been performing assigned constitutional responsibilities without blemish. More importantly, Mr Speaker and his honourable colleagues deliberately refused to unnecessary create malice with the executive and judiciary arms of government in the course of carrying out oversight functions and other legislative duties within and outside the hallowed chambers.
Bad examples of conflicts caused by overzealous law makers abound in some states where legislators are constantly and/or periodically at loggerheads with the executive arm of government. In those affected States it has been tales of wanton distruction of valuable private and public properties which translates to senseless wastages of huge tax payers money. May we never experience such ugly scenario in Delta State.
Mr Speaker has displayed excellent leadership qualities which must be sustained throughout this tenure so that the good intentions of the state governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, particularly the remarkable policies and programmes encapsulated in the Stronger Delta blueprints can be actualised with ease for the overall benefits of all Deltans.
It is expected that the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, APC, will sustain her deliberate black propaganda and unsubstantiated stream of criticisms while playing opposition politics, but Mr Speaker and his patriotic colleagues in the Delta State 7th Assembly must be focused consistently and ignore distractions so as to sustain a robust relationship with the executive and judiciary arms of government while protecting the watertight independent posture of the legislature.
Deltans are very pleased over the sustained peaceful relationship between the three arms of government, working together creatively and progressively to bring about rapid socioeconomic and infrastructural development to the three senatorial districts in the state.
It is therefore safe to assert that Delta State 7th Assembly has made tremendous progress which must be sustained.
Recently, the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof Abubakar Suleiman, while speaking to newsmen in Asaba, described Delta 7th Assembly as a role model for other states legislature in the country, in terms of capacity building, staff welfare, making good laws and harmonious working relationship with the executive and judiciary arms of government.
