Hon. Festus Ayodele Adefiranye, a member of the House of Representatives, has clarified the role of the National Assembly in exercising its oversight function. According to Adefiranye, who represents the Oke-Igbo/Ile Oluji/Odigbo Federal Constituency of Ondo State, the legislative body is solely concerned with ensuring accountability and not with accusing or intimidating individuals or institutions.

Adefiranye made this statement while receiving the Award of Most Outstanding Honourable in Constituency Project Delivery of the Year at the National Assembly Complex. He explained that oversight functions are carried out to monitor the judicious use of appropriated funds, ensuring that they are expended for their intended purposes.

The federal lawmaker emphasized that the principal responsibility of the National Assembly is lawmaking, which includes oversight on all matters for which laws are made. He stated that it is logical for lawmakers to check on subjects to ensure that what is brought before the Assembly for attention is executed as treated by it.

Adefiranye also commended the current relationship between the executive and the legislature, praising the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate for managing the affairs of the legislative bodies to sustain peace and cooperation among members. He argued that fighting with the executive is not a proof of bravery but rather slows down development and delays government processes.

In response to comments that the 10th National Assembly is seen as a rubber stamp to the executive, Adefiranye attributed this perception to a lack of understanding of how government works. He commended the leadership of the Assembly for navigating public pressure to foster a beneficial relationship with the executive.

Adefiranye has sponsored four bills, including two for the establishment of a federal medical centre and an entrepreneurship university in his constituency. He prioritized these projects because they prioritize life, and he is happy to see the reconstruction of the Ore-Ondo-Akure road, which was a result of his motion, reduce accidents and deaths.

The lawmaker promised to continue leveraging his legislative mandate to collaborate with the federal government on further development of his constituency. His award-winning projects demonstrate his commitment to delivering beneficial initiatives to his community, and his approach to governance highlights the importance of interdependence among the three arms of government.