ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Head Federal and National Assembly Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Y. Usman-Katsina has called on federal and state governments to adopt Policy and Legislative Resilience (PLR) as a practical framework to strengthen institutions, improve fiscal discipline, deepen citizen participation, and ensure that Nigeria’s ongoing reforms deliver measurable results.

Usman-Katsina said Nigeria is at a critical governance moment, with major reforms moving from legislation into implementation amid rising fiscal, political, security and development pressures.

She noted this in a statement she personally signed stating that” while laws and policies are important, their real value depends on the capacity of institutions to sustain implementation, adapt to changing realities, and remain focused on citizen-centred outcomes.

“Nigeria does not only need new laws and policies. It needs institutions that can sustain reforms, adapt under pressure and deliver measurable outcomes for citizens,” she said.

According to her, Policy and Legislative Resilience refers to the ability of governments, particularly sub-national governments, to respond effectively to political, fiscal and development challenges through stronger policies, laws, regulations and implementation systems.

She explained that many well-intentioned policies fail not because they lack vision, but because the institutions responsible for implementation often lack the resilience, coordination, accountability and feedback mechanisms required to turn policy ambitions into results.

“Resilience is not a passive state, it is a matter of inner strength, determination, persistence and the willingness to look inward and move forward with clarity of purpose,” Usman-Katsina stated.

She observed that PLR is especially important for Nigerian states as they confront revenue pressures, rising expenditure obligations, service delivery gaps, security concerns and growing citizen expectations.

She added that state governments must look inward, optimise existing revenue systems, eliminate bottlenecks, improve the quality of expenditure, and strengthen the link between budgets, laws, and visible development outcomes.

Usman-Katsina identified four core pillars of Policy and Legislative Resilience.The first is inclusive representation, communication and coordination, ensuring that governors, budget planners, legislators, MDAs and citizens are connected through credible consultation and feedback mechanisms.

The second is sustainable policy and legislative support, which requires continuous review, advocacy, regulatory stability and institutional routines that preserve reform objectives beyond political cycles.

The third is strengthened oversight, involving joint monitoring by communities, legislators and implementing agencies to improve accountability, reduce wastage and ensure that public spending produces tangible benefits.

The fourth is internal optimisation and consolidation, which requires governments to identify savings, improve revenue collection, remove bottlenecks, streamline regulations and align state-level policies with national development priorities.

She stressed that citizen engagement must move beyond ceremonial consultation to become a standard part of policy design, budgeting, legislative review, implementation tracking and public accountability.

“Citizens are no longer passive recipients of policy. They are active stakeholders whose priorities, experiences and feedback must shape how laws are designed, budgets are prepared, and projects are implemented,” she said.

Usman-Katsina also called for community-led needs assessments to be institutionalised as part of legislative and budget processes, noting that policies become more resilient when they are rooted in the lived realities of communities.She further stated that Nigeria’s ongoing reform environment provides a timely opportunity to embed PLR into governance systems. She said reforms in taxation, public finance, social investment, security, health, human capital development and sub-national governance will only achieve lasting impact if supported by resilient institutions and measurable implementation frameworks.”PLR is about turning reforms into systems that last. Done right, it creates governance value chains that improve service delivery, attract investment, support local enterprise, strengthen inclusive security, raise incomes and expand employment,” she added.She urged governments, legislatures, MDAs, development partners, and civic actors to adopt PLR as a practical tool to improve policy implementation, legislative effectiveness, fiscal accountability, and citizen trust.Usman-Katsina concluded that Nigeria’s reform momentum must now be matched with resilient institutions, inclusive governance, evidence-based decision-making and a stronger culture of accountability.

About Hajiya Fatima Y. Usman-Katsina

Hajiya Fatima Y. Usman-Katsina is Head, Federal and National Affairs. She is also the Pioneer Female Head of Peace and Inclusive Security at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered activist and AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre pending a ruling on his bail.

Justice Mohammed Umar made the order Monday after Sowore failed to appear in court on June 16.

The judge had revoked his bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

—Motion for stay filed—

Sowore’s new counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, has now filed a motion seeking to stay the court’s earlier decision.

Justice Umar adjourned the matter to June 24 to hear the application.

Sowore arrived in court Monday with supporters, some carrying placards.

He’s being prosecuted by the DSS over X and Facebook posts where he allegedly called President Bola Tinubu “a criminal”.

He denies the allegations.

The DSS was represented by Akinkolu Kehinde, SAN, who made the oral application for the bench warrant on June 16.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

A South Korean court has sentenced former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae to 25 years in prison over his role in the failed martial law declaration made by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found Park guilty of taking part in an “insurrection” after prosecutors accused him of supporting actions linked to Yoon’s controversial move. The verdict was shared through a recording posted online.

ifeanyi-Okowa-delta
Yoon announced martial law during a late-night address in December 2024, but the decision lasted only about six hours. Lawmakers quickly gathered at the National Assembly and voted against the declaration, forcing it to end.

Yoon was later convicted of leading an insurrection and is currently being held while he appeals a life imprisonment sentence. He also received a 30-year prison term earlier this month over allegations that he sent drones to North Korea to “manufacture a national crisis” as a reason to introduce martial law.

Prosecutors said Park held a meeting with justice ministry officials shortly after the martial law announcement. They claimed he discussed prison space in case authorities moved to arrest people considered opponents of the government.

Judge Lee Jin-gwan said Park’s actions placed the country’s democratic system at risk.

“Due to the actions of the defendant, the country nearly faced a situation in which the people’s fundamental rights and the basic order of liberal democracy could have been violated,” the judge said.

The judge added that Park failed to act despite concerns raised during the meeting about the legality of the move.

As justice minister, Park “ignored the various opinions that had been raised at the meeting regarding the illegality of the Dec 3 insurrection”, Lee said.

Prosecutors had requested a 20-year jail term, accusing Park of misusing his position and weakening the rule of law.

They said he had “reduced the law to a tool of insurrection in his abuse of power and posed a challenge to the rule of law”.

Park, who had remained free during his trial, was taken into custody after the court delivered its judgment.

The martial law declaration caused major political unrest in South Korea. It sparked public protests, affected the country’s financial markets and surprised international partners, including the United States.

Several former officials linked to Yoon’s administration have also received prison sentences. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is serving 15 years, while former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min received a nine-year sentence.

Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun was sentenced to three years in prison for exposing classified military information connected to the alleged insurrection.

Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, is also serving a four-year prison sentence over separate charges involving stock manipulation and bribery.