Senator Ali Ndume has advocated for Nigeria’s National Assembly to operate on a part-time basis, proposing that lawmakers should only receive payment for the days they attend plenary sessions or committee meetings.
Speaking during an interview on Trust TV on Friday, June 26, Ndume argued that the current full-time remuneration structure is unjustified because members of the National Assembly do not work every day.
“To me, I’ve said it before, what exactly are we doing? We have gone on recess several times. Let us be paid based on attendance. If you sit, you get paid. If you don’t sit, you don’t get paid,” he said.
The senator maintained that both the Senate and the House of Representatives could effectively function as part-time institutions without compromising their legislative duties.
“I even believe the National Assembly can operate on a part-time basis. On Wednesday, we all came together for an emergency sitting to discuss important national issues, including state policing, although I still have reservations about the speed and manner in which the process is being handled,” Ndume stated.
He also criticised the pace at which the Senate deliberated on and passed the State Police Bill, arguing that legislation of such national significance should undergo broader consultation and more thorough debate.
“The Senate is a committee of elders. You don’t simply gather one day, decide that because the President wants state police, you pass the bill overnight,” he said.
“We are expected to carefully deliberate on such issues and seek wider input. We have passed the bill, but has state police become operational today?”
Ndume’s remarks come just days after the Senate approved the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) (State Police) Bill, 2026, which seeks to establish state police services alongside the existing federal policing system.
While expressing support for efforts to tackle the country’s growing security challenges, the Borno South senator insisted that reforms of such importance should not be rushed and must be subjected to extensive legislative scrutiny before implementation.
