Our system of government favor only few people to the detriment of Nigerians, says Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume 

A former Senate Leader, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Army in the 9 th National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume, has said the Nigerian system of government favor only few people who are public officers.

Ndume lamented that federal lawmakers and other highly placed public officers were earning luxury wages to the detriment of Nigerian masses.


He said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Muhammadu Sanusi, had vindicated his position on the high cost of running a presidential democracy, which he insisted was no longer realistic.

Ndume stated this on Sunday while reacting to the views expressed by Osinbajo and Sanusi during a webinar organised by the Emmanuel Chapel, themed, ‘Economic stability beyond COVID - 19’, on Friday.

Former Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, who was a panelist at the session, had asked the Vice president a question on the cost of governance.




Sanusi, specifically at the webinar, had said there was a need “to reduce structural cost and make government more sustainable over the long term.”

Responding to Sanusi’s inquiries, Osinbajo affirmed the need to reduce cost, but said it might be a little difficult considering the structure of the constitution.

“There is no question that we are dealing with a large and expensive government. But as you know, given the current constitutional structure, those who would have to vote to reduce government, especially to become part-time legislators, are the very legislators themselves.



“You can imagine that we may not get very much traction if they are asked to vote themselves, as it were, out of their current relatively decent circumstances.

Reacting Ndume said, “We have a budget of N 10 tn and only 30 per cent is going to the majority, whereas 70 per cent will be spent on a few minority . The system we are practising now is not fair either morally or socially.

“In the current system, workers are not being paid living wages, whereas a privileged few are earning luxury wages. The National Assembly members, including me, for instance, are paid luxury wages.

“How can we live comfortably when only a few of us are living a life of luxury while the majority are living in abject poverty? The N 30, 000 minimum wage is too small; it can make workers engage in corruption in order to survive.”


The senator, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, insisted that the current cost of governance was too much.

Ndume said the change from presidential democracy to parliamentary might be difficult for the current National Assembly to undertake because the present system was also in their favour.

Ndume said, “Parliamentary system is effective in the sense that the head of government is more or less one among equals of the parliamentarians.



“Therefore, accountability is achieved in the chamber in the sense that the prime minister has to be in the parliament every day, and he must give account of government to his colleagues.

“Also, ministers are selected among the elected parliamentarians. The idea is to reduce the cost of governance and make it more effective.”

On how to effect a change in the current system of government, Ndume suggested that legal luminaries should come together and fashion out an acceptable arrangement that could lead to a constitution amendment through referendum.