Determined to enact laws that would impact positively on the lives of the people, the speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, has underscored the need for legislative collaboration with other state assemblies to achieve a unified front for effective representation.
Otong, who made this known while receiving the Oyo and Osun Houses of Assembly speakers in Uyo at the weekend, maintained that there was need to partner with other state assemblies to replicate good examples in each House in order to move forward.
Towards the attainment of this feat, Hon. Otong reiterated the need for lawmakers to sponsor and present bills that would have direct impacts on lives of the people.
Responding, his Oyo State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, while congratulating him for his emergence as the speaker, stated that legislators should be more interested in encouraging and sponsoring bills that would have direct impact on the people and build on the integrity of the House, especially on oversight functions.
While emphasizing that it is very important that the legislature presents itself as one with integrity, Ogundoyin said while in the 9th Oyo Assembly, 97 bills were passed, 150 motions were raised and over 400 resolutions were passed.
He said the feat was attained through commitment and genuine desire to engender life-touching legislations on the people, stressing that they were more concerned with passing bills that are people-oriented.
Speaking on the proposal for a Unified Standing Order across board, he appealed to lawmakers to adhere to the order to build a better image for the legislative arm of government, even as he encouraged Akwa Ibom House members to keep on persevering in their constitutional duties by ensuring that they represent the people in a quality way.
Similarly, the speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, stated that as lawmakers, the commitment is to serve the people, to uphold the principles of democracy and drive positive change for the people.
