Our desire is to have a legislative agenda that meets the yearnings and aspirations of citizens and with which they would use as a benchmark to evaluate and assess our performance after four years.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has disclosed that the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House will address the yearnings of Nigerians.
He made the disclosure on Monday, in an address at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the House’ Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda in Abuja, according to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi.
While stressing that the parliament was ready to welcome citizens’ participation in the efforts towards addressing the challenges facing the country, Abbas noted that it was a “critical stakeholders’ meeting” to harness citizens’ input to the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House.
He said: “Our desire is to have a legislative agenda that meets the yearnings and aspirations of citizens and with which they would use as a benchmark to evaluate and assess our performance after four years. Therefore, today’s meeting should not be seen as the usual talk-shop. Consider it a critical national assignment.
“There is no better way to show that the 10th Houses of Representatives is ready to respond, and urgently too, to the yearnings of those who brought us to the people’s House to do the people’s business.”
He assured that the House, as representatives of the people, will continue to regularly consult citizens in the discharge of the mandate given to the lawmakers.
The Speaker also emphasised that the House would pay priority attention to participatory budgeting process and delivery, law reform, electoral reform, women’s participation and inclusion in governance, improved socio-economic conditions, entrepreneurship, employment, health and education, infrastructure, citizens-focused diplomacy, institutional capacity and citizens engagement, constitutional amendment and restructuring, among others.
“Our engagement with citizens will go beyond today’s consultation. The ‘Open NASS’ project of the 10th House of Representatives requires regular consultations with the people as we strive to return the Legislature to those who own it through regular, meaningful, and productive engagements. It equally requires lawmakers to have functional constituency offices for regular interaction with our constituents.”
Speaker Abbas thanked the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for their support to the National Assembly over the years, especially for backing the House on the Legislative Agenda.
Earlier in his welcome address, Majority Leader of the House and Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, noted that the event marked “a pivotal moment in our nation’s history as we receive input to build a comprehensive blueprint to drive progress, prosperity, and inclusivity across our great nation.”