“We are Proud of You” – Sen Akpabio Tells DG NILDS.
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has acknowledged the pivotal role of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, in building capacity of the Legislature under the Director General, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Senate President gave the commendation in a message to the One- Day Roundtable for Members of the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance organised by NILDS in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) held in, Abuja.
Senator Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, said the DG NILDS, Professor Sulaiman has transformed the Institute into a World Class status in strengthening NILDS- NASS symbiotic working relationship.
In a statement by the Media Adviser to DG NILDS Muhammad Abdulkadir, Senator Akpabio, says the theme of the workshop, “Strengthening Legislative Compliance For Effective Governance,” is timely and significant pointing out that as representatives of their constituents, the core mandate is to ensure that laws passed are implemented by holding the MDAs accountable.
While reaffirming commitment of the 10th National Assembly to probity, accountability and transparency in carrying out the statutory responsibility in meeting the expectations of Nigerians, he commended the Chairman Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance For his insightful and innovative leadership style.
The Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies NILDS, Professor Abubakar Olanrewaju Sulaiman, who noted that weak enforcement of laws erodes trust in governance said the need to address gaps in Legislative Compliance gave birth to the initiative of organising the roundtable.
Professor Sulaiman said governance all over the World thrives on synergy between making laws and ensuring their implementation, added that the Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance needs to be equipped with the tools, strategies, and institutional support to track, monitor and enforce adherence to Legislative mandates.
According to him, the Roundtable is also a wake-up call to stakeholders to deepen collaboration among Legislature, MDAs, Civil Society, and other critical actors, pointing out that NILDS will continue to support these efforts by providing research, capacity building and technical assistance to ensure that the committee effectively fulfils its mandate.
The chairman Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance, Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, who was also commended by the DG NILDS expressed optimism that the Roundtable will come up with workable solutions to address the gaps in implementation mechanism.
Senator Maidoki, said he is determined to bequeath lasting legacies towards emplacing robust paths to enhanced performance by the committee.
The Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, who said as the Custodian of the rule, he believes that no law serves for all times, shed the light on simple, statutory and procedural resolutions.
The Roundtable featured presentation of paper by the former Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly matters ( Senate) Senator Ita Enang, panel discussion and breakout session.
