The house of representatives says
many Nigerians believe that federal lawmakers have not shown any genuine
commitment to the growth of the country.
The lower legislative chamber
also said a lot of citizens do not understand their role, adding that this has
contributed to the negative image of the legislature.
Benjamin Kalu, spokesman of the
house, said this on Wednesday during the inauguration of the committee on media
and public affairs in Abuja.
Kalu, who doubles as the chairman
of the committee, said the ninth assembly would work to correct the negative
image of lawmakers.
“Over the past two decades, the
reputation of the Nigerian legislature has been shrouded in controversy, with
many citizens skeptical of the role of the Nigerian legislature in national
development,” he said.
“Many Nigerians hold the view
that the legislature has not shown a significant and genuine commitment to the
social, economic and political wellbeing of the country.
“The Nigerian public is
consistently inundated with fake news about the renumeration and allowances of
legislators and have been conditioned to appraise the national assembly with
the same terms of reference as it would, the executive without regard to the
distinctive nature of legislative duties under the constitution.
“This undesirable reputation
stems from an acute lack of understanding of the workings and role of the
legislature in our national development. This much was acknowledged as a major
challenge by the 8th House in its legislative agenda and still remains a focal
concern for this 9th House.”
Kalu said the current session of
the house will promote public good through proper checks and balances among
other means.
He said: “We shall advance
programs, as well as an environment, that serves to promote public engagement,
education, awareness and reorientation including periodic stakeholder
roundtables; training and capacity building for members of the committee;
alliance and linkages with state houses of assembly, other arms of government,
regional parliaments and select international parliaments.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com