Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has said that the National Assembly has made appreciable progress in fulfilling its democratic obligations to Nigerians.
The Speaker spoke at the third matriculation ceremony of the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS)/University of Benin (UNIBEN) Postgraduate Programme at the National Assembly.
He said it is common knowledge in parliaments across the world that nothing hinders the delivery of the promise of democracy more than lack of capacity.
“The point must be made that it is knowledge that animates parliaments all over the world while nothing stultifies the promise of democracy more than an intellectually hollow Parliament”, he said.
“By paying particular attention to capacity strengthening, the National Assembly has made appreciable progress in fulfilling its democratic obligations. The capacity of the National Assembly to make laws, review existing laws and perform legislative oversight and representative roles has been significantly enhanced and the technical capacity of staff and legislative aides is progressively being strengthened and expanded.
“These legislative responsibilities have become even more critical since the coming into operation of the 1999 Constitution as demonstrated by the robust role being played by the Legislature in our democracy and the movement towards an open society in which citizens participate more in matters of national importance, contribute in decision-making processes and demand greater accountability on the part of political office holders.”
Dogara congratulated both the students and some of the icons of the legislature who were honoured with Fellowship of National Institute for Legislative Studies (NILS), saying it is in recognition of their contributions to the growth and development of the legislature in Nigeria.
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