Accessible, Accountable Parliament Key To Sustainable Democracy – Kalu

The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu has said a parliament that is accessible, transparent and accountable is the bedrock of a sustainable democracy.

Kalu stated this while declaring open a National Dialogue convened by OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, Nigeria’s pre-eminent legislative think-tank, held in Abuja yesterday.

The deputy speaker said the theme of the dialogue; ‘Mainstreaming Open Parliament into the 10th Assembly Legislative Agenda, resonates deeply with the core values of participatory governance the present lawmakers have pledged to uphold.

He said, to achieve the lofty goals set by the Open Parliament Index (OPI), the 10th Assembly must prioritise the standards of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), the Principles of Parliamentary Openness, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) indicators for democratic parliaments. 

“The 10th Assembly is committed to embracing technology and innovation to enhance transparency and participation. We understand that in an era defined by rapid technological advancements, an open parliament must utilise digital tools to bridge the gap between citizens and their representatives. 

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“Participatory governance is not a mere buzzword for us; it is the cornerstone of our legislative agenda. We intend to establish mechanisms that enable citizens to actively participate in the legislative process, ensuring their voices are heard and their concerns addressed,” Kalu stated.

In his remarks, the executive director, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative, Oke Epia said, the dialogue was an avenue to exchange ideas on activities around the National Assembly.

Epia said the intention of Parliamentary Monitoring Organisations (PMOs) is to set an agenda for the 10th National Assembly on open parliament which is the kernel of democracy.

“The 10th NASS is just two months in office, and we believe it is important to not only set an agenda for NASS but it is also important to sensitise the citizens on the misconceptions about the legislature.

“When the National Assembly does excellent work we should not be shy to commend them. We want to see the National Assembly open up to the citizens and open up to organized monitoring and evaluation process,” he said.

Also speaking, clerk to the House of Representatives, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, said the National Assembly is open to collaboration with stakeholders who may want to work in synergy with it in bringing the Parliament closer to the people.

He said the National Assembly needs to be more proactive in openess such as by involving rural dwellers in its activities.

Represented by Dr Bukola Ayeni, the Clerk said that could be achieved by having public hearings in the rural areas, especially where matters under consideration are more about them.

“The Committee on Constituency Outreach also needs to be strengthened to properly oversight Constituencies by having outreaches and town hall meetings with constituents to see how productive members’ engagements with their constituents have been.

“Also, NASS’ Committee on Civil Societies and Development Partners should be strengthened to carry out more functions to make them more relevant in its activities,” the Clerk added.