Reps Stepdown Bill Mandating Higher Qualifications For Political Office Holders

The House of Representatives has stepped down a Bill that proposes to review upward to a minimum of a University degree for political office seekers in Nigeria.

This followed the rejection of the bill by some lawmakers.

Titled “A Bill For An Act To Alter The 1999 Constitution Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria (As Amended) To Change The Educational Qualification For Election Into Certain Political Offices And For Related Matters”, the bill was sponsored by Yeyeoba Onanuga.

Leading the debate on the Bill,
Onanuga said that the bill when accented to will among other things, place more value on education in Nigeria, especially when considering politics.

“Mr Speaker, I introduce to this chamber a bill for an act to alter the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to change the educational qualification for election into certain political offices and for related matters.

“Mr Speaker, honourable colleagues, this is not a Bill targeted at stifling the interest of Nigerians in politics, rather it is a Bill that will help Nigerians to sufficiently prepare for the humongous task of political leadership. As we have begun to see, the race for elective offices at both State and national levels has become increasingly competitive. While this is good as a tenet of universal suffrage, it can also be counterproductive if people who are not sufficiently prepared educationally, get into these elective offices.

“Honourable colleagues, all the political offices affected by this amendment are very strategic in their own right. The State legislators are important for making laws to govern the State in the interest of the people. The office of the Governor is the highest political office in the State. The Federal legislators are important for making laws in the interest of the nation. The Office of the President is the highest political office in the land. If a Managing Director who holds an equally strategic position in a company within this country, cannot be employed without a university degree or its equivalent, why should the above political offices be held by people without a university degree or its equivalent?

“Mr Speaker, Honourable colleagues, we all know that after a university degree or its equivalent in this country, comes the compulsory National Youth Service Corp, without which it would be difficult to get into any employment, especially within the Public Sector.

“Invariably, by leaving the qualification of this political office to remain at School Certificate level, we are implying that the NYSC is not a requirement to hold political offices but it is a requirement to secure a job in the Public Sector” Onanuga said.

She said “This bill will reflect the premium this 10th assembly places on the quality of education that interests our youths vis-à-vis their desired political ambitions and it will in turn affect the quality of candidates who run for elective offices in this country. Otherwise, how do we place value on education if I say to my son who wants to be a doctor that he needs a university degree or its equivalent to achieve his dream and then say to my daughter who wants to be a President someday that she only needs to have a school certificate”?

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She noted that in this present day, studying up to a university degree anywhere in the world would have afforded any individual certain other knowledge, skills and preparedness that cannot be gotten at a school certificate level.

“This is not to say that only those with a university degree can lead well, all we will be saying is that we would rather start from there, and I believe we can all agree that a university degree is a good place to benchmark the educational qualification into certain political offices. To agree otherwise will in the long run do our polity and youths a great disservice”.

Following heated debate for and against the motion, Onanuga had to step it down as advised by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, for further lobbying.

Emmanuel Ukoh