Orji Uzor Kalu calls for part-time Senators & house of Representatives members to reduce government expenditures

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has voiced his support for the implementation of a part-time legislature at both federal and state levels.

According to Senator Kalu (APC-Abia North), this measure could significantly reduce government expenditure and enhance public trust in the political system.

The former Abia governor expressed his views in an interview published on his verified Facebook page over the weekend.

He stated, “I think it will be a very good idea if my colleagues and other members of the Houses of Assembly will agree that we can sit for three months and do constitutional amendment first.”

Kalu elaborated on his proposal, suggesting that the legislative bodies could convene four times a year, with provisions for emergency sessions as needed.

This, he argued, would allow for more efficient governance without the need for full-time legislative operations. “Not only the Senate and the House of Representatives, but all the legislative houses in Nigeria will be part-time,” he added.

In addition to promoting part-time legislature as an austerity measure, Kalu advocated for regional government as another cost-saving alternative.

“If we’re going for regional government, it also means that the ministers, the legislators, will be the same. I’ve been tinkering with the idea of how we can save money to run Nigeria because the country needs money,” he explained.

The senator urged the President and the National Assembly to consider these legislative changes, emphasizing their potential to benefit the entire nation.

He also addressed the common misconception that senators receive excessive compensation, highlighting the need for a constitutional amendment to facilitate part-time legislative sessions.