From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that rejection of the five gender bills by the National Assembly, in the ninth assembly, were fueled by vested interest from outside the legislature.
Abbas stated, this, on Monday, in Abuja, while addressing
representatives of Donor Agencies, Development Partners and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Technical Expertise, Partners and Development Agencies, who were in his office on a courtesy visit.
The speaker, who was represented by the House leader, Julius Ihonbvere, explained that on the day of the constitution alterations, lawmakers, who were not regular in the parliament, and propelled by external influences came to the chambers primarily to ensure the gender bills did not scale through.
According to him, “The failure of the gender bills in the 9th assembly was deliberate. There were people who came to vote against the bills. They don’t show up on the floor. But they came that day to vote against the bills. And the reasons for that has nothing to do with we were doing on the floor.It was tendencies that came from outside the National Assembly.”
Furthermore, the speaker called for collaboration between the parliament and civil society organisations and donor agencies towards strengthening the capacity of the National Assembly.
He stressed that it is imperative to do capacity needs assessment of the federal legislature to enable the institution evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.
Abbas recalled that an earlier meeting with development partners, he had emphasized the capacity challenges confronting the 10th House.
According to him, “I highlighted the unique capacity challenges faced by the 10th House owing to the significant turnover rate resulting from the general elections. As legislators, we must have the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to fulfill our responsibilities effectively.
“Subsequently also, I established the Programmes Coordinating Unit under my office for the purposes of coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all technical support and capacity development drive of the House.
“I am pleased to observe that some progress has been achieved following our initial meeting. I am aware that our technical partners and supporters have been collaborating with the PCU to provide various forms of assistance to the House. This demonstrates your dedication to strengthening our democracy.
“Through this assessment, we aim to identify specific areas where additional support and capacity-building initiatives are required. This includes enhancing our research capabilities, strengthening our committee system, improving legislative drafting skills, and fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusivity within the House”.