I’ll never be lawmaker after being governor - El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai said he would never be a lawmaker in Nigeria because he lacks the patience for parliamentary due process and inability to “hire and fire.”

“The legislature is one I know I cannot function because I do not have the patience,” said Mr El-rufai, the chairman of Distinguished Parliamentarians Lecture 2022, organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies in Abuja.

He said the lawmakers needed hard work to convince the people, unlike the executive, that they could take decisions with the power to hire and fire.

“I know many of my colleagues are retiring to be legislators, but I can assure you I will never retire to be a legislator,” Mr El-Rufai vowed.

Commending the leadership of Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the governor said, “The two are perhaps the most experienced legislators in the country.”

Meanwhile, Mr El-Rufai set the agenda for the ninth National Assembly before it expires in June 2023.

Speaking on the agenda, the governor urged the lawmakers to ensure the enactment of state and community policing laws, adding that the current policing system in the country would not work.

Stating that Nigeria is the only country with a centralised policing system, he said the national assembly must enact a new law to take care of the policing system.

He said Nigeria remained the only country with a unitary judiciary, adding that the national assembly should ensure such was addressed before the expiration of its tenure.

He also urged the lawmakers to enact a law to ensure it made the first 12 years of education free and compulsory from primary to secondary school.

According to Mr El-rufai, Nigeria can only make progress by educating everyone in the country.

Mr El-rufai said reforming the local government autonomy to make each local government flexible to meet the needs of the state should also be the priority of the ninth assembly.

“These are things that need creative legislation by the ninth assembly, and they must ensure these are achieved before it winds up in June.”