Bayelsa stands as one of the states with the lowest number of bills and slowest progression in the 1st year of the 10th National Assembly
Lawmakers have been criticised for their apparent failure to fulfil their legislative responsibilities, casting doubts on their credibility. The primary functions of the legislature include representation, lawmaking, and oversight, but some legislators have undeniably fallen short in the aspect of lawmaking.
As a way to keep lawmakers on their toes, OrderPaper carried out a detailed analysis which revealed that only 5 out of the 8 lawmakers from Bayelsa state sponsored 12 bills out of a total of 1,650 bills sponsored in the 10th National Assembly between June 2023 and May 2024.
While the sponsorship of bills is a crucial aspect of legislators’ roles, it is imperative to ensure that these bills advance through the legislative process to become laws. Bill sponsorship should be measured not only by quantity, but also by the value, impact, and progress of the bills.
The Bayelsa lawmakers not only sponsored a disappointingly low number of bills, but also presented bills that have made no progress, as all bills introduced remain stagnant at the first reading stage.
READ ALSO: LAWMAKERS’ SCORECARD: Beyond the number of bills sponsored
Out of a total of 1175 bills sponsored in the House of Representatives, representatives from the state sponsored only 9. In the senate, only 3 bills were sponsored by senators from the state out of a total of 475 sponsored in the first year of the 10th National Assembly.
At the beginning of the 10th assembly, expectations were high that the first term lawmakers will eagerly carry out their legislative duties, but one year along the line, it appears that this expectation was misplaced as only 1 of the 4 newbies from the state in the House sponsored a bill.
In the senate, each of the 3 senators sponsored a bill. While second term senator, Seriake Dickson sponsored a bill in the education sector, the other two first term senators, Benson Konbowei and Benson Agadaga sponsored a bill each on solid minerals and social welfare respectively.
In the House, the 9 bills were sponsored by only 2 lawmakers who happen to be a fourth term member, Agbedi Fredrick with 6 bills and a first term member, Ambiowei Rodney with 3 bills.
STAR Check: Find out more about all Bayelsa State lawmakers in the National Assembly here.
10th NASS Report Card: Read up on the performance scorecards of other senators, members of the house and specialised categories here.
