News

Speaker Abbas Unveils Newly Digitalized Hearing Room, Of Public Account Committee

Published

2 months ago

July 15, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…say House to amend rules to receive e-pettitions

…vow to uphold legislative excellence, responsiveness to needs of Nigerians

By Gloria Ikibah

As part of keeping to its legislative agenda, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has unveiled the newly digitalised hearing room of the House Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and a quarterly news magazine of the Committee.

Speaker Abbas in his speech disclosed that the 10th House will commence the process of amending its Standing Orders to accommodate e-petitions and facilitate the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in receiving and processing public petitions.

According to him, this transformative step will be first of its kind in Nigeria and will enable more efficient, transparent, and accessible petition procedures, allowing citizens to engage with the legislative process more effectively.

Speaker Abbas explained that by integrating ICT, the House aims to ensure that every voice can be heard and considered promptly, thereby reinforcing dedication to a responsive and accountable governance system that truly serves the interests of the Nigerian people.

He expressed commitment to legislative excellence and responsiveness to the needs of the Nigerian people by investing in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and continuously updating technological capabilities.

The Speaker urged the Committee to continue their exemplary work in the pursuit of transparency and accountability.

“Let us continue to leverage technology and innovation to enhance our work.

“Rest assured, you have our continued support and resources to ensure the success and sustainability of these projects.

“Together, we will work to expand these initiatives to achieve even greater impact,” he said.

The speaker added that these initiatives are also integral to the Legislative Agenda, which prioritizes good governance by leveraging technology and digital media to ensure that legislative processes are inclusive, participatory, and responsive to the needs of all Nigerians.

“I commend the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Hon. Bamidele Salam and his Members for their relentless dedication to delivering on the mandate of the Committee as constitutionally provided.

“To further improve the effectiveness of PAC, you have gone a step further to introduce additional legislative tools and mechanisms that strengthen good governance and improve openness and accountability.

“According to our recently unveiled one-year scorecard, the Public Accounts Committee alone accounted for 96 of the total committee meetings, representing 19% of the 502 meetings held by our committees in the first session of the House.

“Your oversight activities on issues arising from House resolutions, such as the Alleged Mismanagement of COVID-19 Intervention Funds by MDAs, the investigation of revenue leakages through the Remita platform, and other referred petitions, highlight the seriousness to attach to your oversight functions.

“Incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the work of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) of parliaments is essential for enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the oversight of public funds.

“Advanced digital tools and platforms streamline data analysis, facilitate real-time monitoring, and ensure comprehensive documentation of proceedings, thereby making the oversight process more effective and accessible.

“The Nigerian House of Representatives is deeply committed to this goal, recognizing that leveraging technology is crucial for fostering good governance and inclusive participation.

“By investing in state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and continuously updating our technological capabilities, we aim to set a benchmark in legislative excellence and responsiveness to the needs of the Nigerian people.

“The digitalized hearing room is now equipped with advanced technologies and resources, including comprehensive legal references such as the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (1960-2024), Financial Regulations (2009), and the Procurement Act, among other relevant laws.

“This room features a large smart screen multimedia and other technical devices to facilitate e-hearings, thereby increasing efficiency, ensuring speedy consideration of cases, and promoting the effective delivery of our constitutional mandates,” he said.

He said the PAC News Magazine will foster a sustained relationship with the media, civil society, and stakeholders, ensuring that the work of the House and PAC is accessible and understandable to a broader audience.

He said it will provide a platform for sharing knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned, as well as preserving the digital footprints of the Committee’s oversight activities to guide future endeavours.

He described them as milestones which symbolize their continuous commitment to enhancing accountability and transparency in Nigeria.

News

Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity

Published

5 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Speaker of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Rt. Honourable Memounatou Ibrahima, restated that the parliament remains committed to ensuring the unity and integration of the people within the subregion.

According to Speaker Ibrahima, the Parliament will continue to use parliamentary diplomacy to engage countries that are considering leaving the bloc due to political challenges, such as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as a result of military coups they experienced.

The Speaker stated this when she led a delegation of the ECOWAS Parliament on a working visit to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday in Abuja.

She highlighted that while countries may break formal cooperation, the people of the region remain interconnected, adding that the Parliament, as representatives of these people, will work to maintain the unity.

Ibrahima expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Senate for supporting ECOWAS by providing necessary facilities for their plenary sessions, even as she discussed the socio-political challenges facing the region, as well as how parliamentarians can contribute more to address these issues.

She said: “We strengthen parliamentary diplomacy, because we know that the countries might break cooperation but we cannot separate the population. The population always live together and we as representatives of the people, we are doing our best so that this living together will continue to be reality and even made better.

“We came to thank him for all the facilities that the senate has been providing to the ECOWAS Parliament to facilitate the holding of our sessions here in Abuja. We also discussed on the socio-political situation in the community. We also discussed on the ways parliamentarians can make more contributions on the various issues and the challenges that we are experiencing in ECOWAS”.

The President of the Senate,

Senator Akpabio, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Barau Jubril, commended Ibrahima’s leadership and her efforts in using parliamentary diplomacy to foster cooperation within ECOWAS, especially in light of the challenges posed by countries considering an exit from the bloc.

He noted that since Speaker Meimounatou assumed office, she has deployed enormous parliamentary diplomacy to bear not only on the level of cooperation with institutions in the region but also on those that have expressed the wish to quit the regional block.

Naijablitznews.com reports that Senator Jubril is the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

He said: “Since she was elected the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, she has been up and doing in terms of giving leadership to the parliament. It is in that regard that she is here trying to chart a better course for the parliament to make sure that she brings parliamentary diplomacy to bear in terms of our cooperation not only with those who are within the community as we speak but also even those who are attempting to leave the community.

“It is in that respect that she is here, and what she is doing is commendable. She has come to strengthen her idea and initiative of making the parliament stronger and more effective”.

News

Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.

The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.

This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.

Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.

The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.

Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.

“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.

News

“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.

The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.

An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.

Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”

Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.

Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.

Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.

He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”