CONFAB UPDATE-- Nigerian lawmakers should work part-time, ex-Punch Newspapers Chairman says....

“Any person, male or female, who fathers or mothers more than three children, is contributing to Nigeria’s population problem,” Mr. Ogunshola said.
A delegate to the National Conference from the South West geo-political zone, Ajibola Ogunshola, has said the cost of governance would be reduced if legislators at all tiers of government serve on part-time basis.
He also called for the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution.
Mr. Ogunshola, a former Chairman of the Punch newspapers, made the call on Tuesday while discussing President Goodluck Jonathan’s inaugural speech to the Conference.
“Legislators at all tiers of government should serve on part-time basis, to reduce costs and encourage wider talents into law-making,” he said.
The delegate said the immunity clause, particularly on criminal acts by executive heads while in office, must be deleted from the constitution.
He said it was clear that with all the security problems in the country, restoration of local, state, or zonal policing, which was abolished during the military era, was overdue and now inevitable.
According to him, the possible fear of its misuse by the governors was a side effect which could be reduced by appropriate legislation.

“The protection benefits outweigh the side effects,” he said.
Mr. Ogunshola, an actuarist, agreed with the delegates who said the concentration of functions and money in the central government promotes corruption and inefficient governance hence the need to
devolve power to the federating units.
He said, “And consistent with this devolution, the federation should no longer fund local councils directly while each federating unit can have as many local government councils as it needs (or states, if zones are the federating units) but will be responsible for funding them.”
Mr. Ogunshola also said “the derivation formula of 13 per cent, or whatever new figure, which is currently applied to oil and gas revenue should also apply to all solid minerals and V.A.T.”
Stating that Nigeria’s current annual population growth rate had been estimated at 2.5 per cent, the delegate warned “If we continue like that, the population will double in about 30 years.
“A Nigerian woman gives birth to an average of 5.4 children, while a whopping 43 per cent of our population is less than 14 years old.
“The excessive population growth, which is not counterbalanced with adequate productivity, is a major cause of the massive unemployment and other social problems mentioned by previous speakers.
“Any person, male or female, who fathers or mothers more than three children, is contributing to Nigeria’s population problem