From Fred Itua, Abuja
The Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has taken a swipe at members of the Kwara State House of Assembly over persistent absence at capacity-building workshops organised by the Institute.
The issue came to the fore in Abuja on Tuesday at the opening session of a 2 – day induction workshop for members-elect of Plateau and Bauchi State Houses of Assembly.
The NILDS boss in his welcome speech commended legislators from Plateau and Bauchi States for their impressive attendance which according to him, has never been demonstrated by their counterparts from Kwara State in any way.
He said: “I am from Kwara State but ashamed by the attitude displayed by lawmakers from the State on capacity-building workshop such as this.
“We have invited them twice without any of the invitations honoured by them yet, many of them are strangers to legislative processes and procedures.
“NILDS is using this opportunity to appeal to Speakers from Plateau and Bauchi State Houses of Assembly to inform their counterparts in Kwara State, the importance of this induction workshop.”
He explained to lawmakers from both states that the induction programme has been organised by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) to enable them to understand their roles, responsibilities, and the functioning of the legislature.
“The various sessions in this induction will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of legislative procedures, rules, and protocols,” he said.
According to him, knowledge to be acquired by the lawmakers from the programme is vital for effective participation in legislative activities, such as debates, committee work, and voting procedures.
“It ensures that legislators, especially new Members, can navigate the legislative process more confidently and make informed decisions,” he stressed.
The Speaker of Bauchi State House of Assembly, Sulaiman Abubakar on behalf of other participants, thanked the Institute for the workshop which according to him, will give them a lot of ‘takeaways’ in terms of enriched knowledge on legislative practices and procedures