The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in the Senate plays a crucial role in upholding legislative integrity, protecting the rights and privileges of lawmakers, and providing an accessible platform for citizens to seek redress against public authorities. While the Committee is mandated to investigate petitions, enforce standards of official conduct, and protect legislative privileges, it faces significant hurdles that affect its efficiency and impact. There is also a notable gap in academic and policy research focused specifically on the challenges this Committee faces, especially compared to other legislative committees. Hence, this research examines the challenges confronting the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions in the National Assembly and proffers practicable recommendations. The research adopts the doctrinal research methodology and relies on primary and secondary sources. Primary source materials used include the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as altered), legislation, and the Standing Orders of the Senate. Furthermore, the research utilised secondary sources, including textbooks, journals, newspapers and internet materials. This research analyses the legal framework underpinning the Committee’s operations, identifies key operational and structural challenges, and proposes recommendations to enhance its effectiveness. This research finds that numerous challenges confront the Committee, including an overwhelming workload stemming from the free and accessible nature of the petition process, high turnover among committee members, the filing procedure, and frequent non-compliance with its recommendations by government agencies. Therefore, this research recommends amending the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2018, to specifically prescribe fines for failure to respond to the Senate's summons by witnesses, and to establish a special administrative unit within the Committee to enforce compliance with resolutions.