The Executive and the Legislative arms of government must eschew avoidable confrontation that creates needless friction and tension in order to deepen the presidential system of government in the country.

The Governor of Kwara State, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed gave the charge in an address at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop for selected members of the National Assembly and Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in Ilorin.

Governor Ahmed noted that the presidential system of government requires consensus building across integral democratic institutions across board, otherwise, the system stands the risk of partisan-induced inertia and stagnation.

The governor observed that there were areas of wastages largely due to duplication of activities among all tiers of government which had not allowed Nigerians to enjoy full dividends of democracy. He, therefore, advised the legislature to take critical look at the areas of duplication of responsibilities in order to ensure optimal allocation and use of resources, especially in service delivery, infrastructure, health, education and water supply.

Governor Ahmed was optimistic that the separation of powers could be sustained without sacrificing the spirit of compromise necessary for effective and efficient governance.

The Governor called on lawmakers to always “legislate for the enthronement of true federalism in order to make our democracy more inclusive and economically beneficial to the people”.

Earlier, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Honourable Razaq Atunwa, in his address, was of the view that years of military intervention had induced some anomalities into the presidential system as practiced in Nigeria.

Atunwa noted that “separation of powers seems to have assumed a vertical line rather than a horizontal one. The Executive labour under the impression that the legislature is an organ under the executive to be used and controlled as it wishes".

Canvassing financial autonomy for State Assemblies in order to ensure proper separation of powers, the speaker said “any governor who asks his assembly to vote against its own financial autonomy is nothing but a dictator in disguise”.

In address of welcome, Chairman, House of Representatives committee on Justice, Dr. Ali Ahmad, said the workshop was designed to resolve issues relating to constitutional powers, strengthen manners and skills of legislators.