Politics
Stakeholders Support Bill To Establish Legislative Training Institute In Lagos
Stakeholders Support Bill To Establish Legislative Training Institute In Lagos
When passed into law, the proposed Institute of Legislative Studies being considered by the Lagos State House of Assembly will be the first in Nigeria to be backed by law.
This was made known the Director of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abuja, Dr. Shuaib Danwaka, at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Friday in consideration of the bill for the state’s version of the Institute of Legislative Studies.
Danwaka, who was the guest speaker at the event, said that the institute is predicated on the need to provide training for lawmakers and legislative staff.
He commended the Assembly for following the footsteps of the federal government while arguing that democracy is sustained through capacity development.
“The bill is to establish the institute that would provide capacity so that the Assembly would be able to discharged its duties of law making and oversight.
“The duties of the legislature cannot be discharged without capacity. With the institute the capacity of the legislature and staff is guaranteed and it will go beyond Lagos and Nigeria,” he said while noting some parts of the bill that should be considered.
Like Danwaka, Prof. Sylvester Odion Akhaine, a Nigerian activist and academic, supported the bill, but noted areas that could be reviewed.
The bill sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon.(Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, shows that the proposed institute is to be charged with the responsibility of conducting quality academic and professional research, training and advocacy on democratic governance, legislative practices, procedures and for connected purposes.
According to the bill, the institute would act as a centre of excellence for research and publication on democratic governance as well as be a centre for continuing education on democracy and legislation.
Among other functions, the institute is to “conduct courses for all categories of legislative officers and the support staff with a view to expanding their overall knowledge and performance in different sections of service;
“Provide continuing education for all categories of legislative officers by undertaking, organising, conducting and facilitating studies, courses, lectures, seminars, workshops, conference and other programmes related to Legislative education;
“Promote and disseminate among legislative Assemblies and Local Governments in the State the practice of science-based methodologies of lawmaking.”
The institute is to also disseminate information through the publication of books, journals, records, reports and other means regarding its activities subject to the approval of its Board.
“The institute would also promote and protect constitutional due process in legislative practices and encourage private sector participation and collaborate with national and international organisations on research and training on issues relevant to its mandate,” the bill stated.
The institute will also have the power to conduct periodic short and refresher courses for National and State legislators, staff, committee secretaries and political aides on democracy and good governance.
It will provide research reports to aide legislation for the House of Assembly, its committees as well as the Legislative Drafting and Legal Services of the House.
The institute will have a council which would comprises the Speaker as Chairman, or at his instance, the Deputy Speaker and five serving members from the five Divisions of the State, who would b nominated.
Others members of the council will include the Chairman, House of Assembly Service Commission, the Clerk of the House of Assembly; and the Director-General of the Institute who would be the Secretary.
The bill states that members of the council other than the ex-officio members will hold office for a term of four years and may be eligible for reappointment for another term of four years only.
A member of the council may resign from the appointment by giving one month notice in writing.
In his keynote address, the Speaker Obasa, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni, said that it was the tradition of the House to organise stakeholders meeting before any bill is passed into law.
Obasa recalled the establishment of the Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies by former President Good luck Jonathan in 2011 adding that the proposed institute in Lagos would enhance governance.
Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Hon. Ganiu Okanlawon, said that the meeting was aimed at involving relevant stakeholders and members of the public in the process of passing the bill.
He said that the institute would provide education for lawmakers and all kinds of legislative officers through seminars, workshops, conferences and other forms of training.
This was corroborated by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Hon. Owolabi Ajani, who said that the Assembly would do what was expected of it before the bill is passed to the Governor for his assent.
The overview of the bill was done by the Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, who said that the legislature is the major arm that differentiates a democratic from a military government.
Breaking: Speaker Obasa Debunks Allegation Of Spending N17b On Assembly Gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday described the allegation that the House spent N17 billion on the fixing of a gate as spurious and funny.
A self-proclaimed group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, had accused the Assembly of spending the amount to construct a gate. The group also sought investigation of the claim.
Speaking at plenary, Dr. Obasa said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over 2027 which is still more than two years away.
Obasa further debunked the claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd thanksgiving service for staff.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.
“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday and dignitaries from various parts of the State attended it,” the Speaker said.
Addressing further claims by the group about the alleged relationship between him and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, the Speaker denied attending the latter’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.
“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.
“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker said.
Earlier, the House, through its spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, had addressed the allegations noting that the Assembly bases its activities on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“It is ludicrous the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko as claimed by the group.
“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.
“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.
“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education, moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” the earlier statement by Ogundipe read.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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