Members of the National Assembly have extended an invitation to civil societies to enhance accountability, transparency and legislative openness.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are vital frameworks in legislative environments. Their presence serves as a catalyst for the expected changes in legislative systems across the globe.
Recognizing the critical role these societies play as catalysts for change, lawmakers have urged these organisations to engage more actively by asking questions, pursuing leads, and collaborating closely with them to effect meaningful reforms in the Nigerian legislative system.
This call for increased proactive engagement was made at a virtual conversation hosted by OrderPaper Nigeria tagged Legislative Accountability 101: Let’s talk 10th National Assembly’s first year to commemorate the Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW) 2024.
The Global Legislative Openness Week is an annual celebration focused on enhancing transparency and participatory governance in parliaments. The annual commemoration which started in 2014 as an initiative of the Open Parliament E-network (OPEN) has fostered global collaboration among governments, civil society, and parliaments to promote accountability and citizen engagement.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jnr who made the call at the event asserted that CSOs can effectively achieve their results by leveraging on the current platform they have been given. “You have a lot more resources on the inside than you think you know.” he stated.
He emphasised that the current assembly values engagement a lot and is intentional about creating a legacy of transparency. He urged civil societies to fully utilize all initiatives and platforms of the assembly to drive further engagement among the citizens.
Furthermore, he urged civil societies to maintain ongoing dialogue with lawmakers, engaging them through the whole process rather than waiting for crises to arise, emphasising that there are lots of progressive minds to work with in the parliament.
By familiarising themselves with the assembly’s legislative agenda, CSOs can effectively spur lawmakers towards their responsibilities. He also stressed the importance of framing narratives around what constitutes a performing lawmaker, advocating for a deeper conversation on qualifications and accountability within legislative roles.
