Most NASS members not utilizing their oversight powers – Eyiboh

By Adeleye Kunle

A former member of House of Representatives for Eket Federal Constituency, Hon Eseme Eyiboh, has regretted that most legislators at the National Assembly have failed to exploit oversight powers granted them by constitution to enrich their legislative engagements.

He added that apart from lawmaking, the legislators can go further in engaging governors, corporate organisations, ministries departments and agencies to bring development in their communities.

In a media chat at the Ibom E-Library, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital on Monday, Eyiboh, who is also the All Progressives Congress candidate in the 2023 elections for Eket Federal Constituency, said legislative business is not for everyone and should be given to someone who is conversant with the law and has the capacity to engage and negotiate for his constituents.

He described as worrisome a situation where people trade experience and competence with mediocrity and blindly follow a person who does not have what to bring to the table.

Speaking further on oversight functions, the House of Reps candidate argued that a lawmaker has the power through oversight to task a governor who brings a loan request to the house for approval to include the demands of people he represents in the proposed projects saying that it takes a lawmaker who knows his onions to exploit that provision