07/05/2026
NJABA 2027: LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS IS NOT FOR CUT AND JOIN ROAD-SIDE MECHANICS AND COMEDIANS
IT IS A BUSINESS OF MEN WITH INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY AND WIDE RANGE OF CONNECTIONS
QUESTION: WHO IS A LEGISLATOR?
A legislator is a law-maker at the legislative arm of a government, but his role goes far beyond just passing laws.
1. Lawmaking:
The Primary duty of a legislator is the act of drafting, debating, amending, and passing of bills that become laws that reflect the collective aspirations of his constituency.
The Scope of a legislator covers everything from criminal codes/acts to education policy, agriculture, health, social security, taxation, and infrastructure.
It is a key point that Laws proposed by a legislator should reflect public interest, especially his constituency, not just political will.
2. Representation:
By representation, a true legislator should be acting as the voice of his people and not a mere puppet or glorified docile lamb.
A Legislator is under obligatory mandate to carry constituent’s concerns, complaints, and aspirations to the higher level of government for adequate attention.
An insightful legislator should be able to articulate programmes that would help in bridging gap, by connecting government policies with grassroots realities.
This is why local presence matters as much as chamber debates.
3. Oversight & Accountability
It is an important factor for a pragmatic Legislator to always check the excesses of the executive arm of the government in line with the principles of separation of powers in democracy.
He become a critical figure in scrutinizing government spending, policies, and actions through committees, hearings, and questioning of members of the executive council on their actions and activities in office in order to prevent abuse of power and ensures public funds are used properly for public interest.
4. Budgetary/Financial Control:
It is the right and the power of a legislator to participate in approval of executive budgets and authorizes taxation and public expenditure.
Which means that without legislative approval, the executive cannot legally spend public funds.
5. Constituency Service & Policy Formulation:
This is the major crux of the matter.
A visionary legislator plays a key Developmental role by facilitating projects and programs for his immediate constituency such as— roads, schools, healthcare systems, security of communities, skill acquisition programs, human capital empowerment initiatives and overall infrastructural development.
In fact, a legislator that only makes laws without representation and oversight becomes a rubber stamp, a clown and comedian of a disgusting magnitude.
An effective legislator must be someone with the brain to articulate ideas for lawmaking, the mental capacity to carry out oversight functions, and intellectual sagacity to provide quality representation for his constituents and not comedic jamboree.
Ndi Njaba, this affliction that has befell us shall never rise for the second time—Nahum 1:9
It is only a mediocre that can support his fellow mediocre to produce mediocrity.
