From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
In recent times, it has become customary for every session of the House of Representatives to come up with a legislative agenda. The agenda, which is usually a set of goals, which the Green chamber intends to achieve, is meant to guide its legislative activities for four years.
Like preceding assemblies, the 10th House last Tuesday, unveiled an 8 point Legislative Agenda, which encapsulates the vision of the Green chamber for the next four years. The 8-point legislative agenda include: strengthening good governance, improving national security, law reforms, economic growth and development, social sector reform and development, inclusion and open parliament, influencing and directing foreign policy and climate change and environmental sustainability.
Key objectives
The key objectives of the agenda which is broken into short, medium and long term goals are constitutional roles for the traditional institutions, electoral reforms, local government autonomy, police reforms, improving transparency in the expenditure of security budget, gender inclusion in governance amongst others.
The documents indicate that the House intends to “alter the constitution to recognize local government as an independent tier with full financial and operational autonomy.”
Similarly, under police reforms, the House said it will “review the current system of policing in Nigeria to strengthen the framework for community policing to decentralize the police structure to allow zonal command take prompt actions on police issues.
“Open national discussion on the the merit of state police to aggregate citizen views and perspective; reform the police force and position it as the primary agency responsible for internal security.”
Also, part of the goals of the House of Representatives, as encapsulated in the legislative agenda is to “enact legislation that mandates a more detailed and itemized budgetary disclosure for security agencies. While certain specifics might be kept confidential for national security reasons, a general breakdown should be accessible to the public.”
For electoral reforms, the House is looking at amending the Electoral Act, 2022 to address all observed lacuna in the existing law. Also included in the electoral reforms is diaspora voting, establishment of Electoral Offences Commission, as well as unbundling the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) “ to create an independent legislation to regulate registration, financing and functions of political parties in the country.”
It also intends to alter the constitution to address the appointment of the INEC chairman and national commissioners. Recall that the power to appoint the chairman of the electoral body and the national Commissoners, currently rests with the President.
Relatedly, another major aspect of the legislative agenda is to “improve business environment and tax reforms”, as well as adopting “ legislative measures to promote renewable energy through tax incentives, grants for investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro.”
Also, the House, said it will take legislative actions to promote women political representation and participation. The proposed actions include legislations to create special seats for women on the National and state assemblies, penalise violence, intimidation and harrasment against women in politics. It also includes effective oversight of government institutions to ensure full implementation of the 35 percent affirmative action on appointive and elective offices in both the private and public sectors of the economy amongst others.
The speaker, Tajudeen Abass, while speaking at the unveiling of the Legislative Agenda, said the document
is a demonstration of the parliament’s “commitment to deploying every legislative instrument available to us towards meeting the yearnings and aspirations of the people we serve.”
According to him, “our agenda encompasses a range of eight critical issues, designed to provide the necessary legislative support to the 8 point Agenda of the executive. These issues include strengthening good governance, economic development, improving national security, law reform, economic growth and development, social sector reform and development, inclusion and open parliament, influencing foreign policy and climate change, and environmental sustainability.
“We are dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes sustainable economic growth, and development. We shall use every legislative tool at our disposal to create jobs for our teeming youths, address the challenge posed by poverty, improve infrastructure, ensure top quality and affordable healthcare and provide security for all Nigerians.”
Prior to the unveiling of the legislative agenda, the House had organised a stakeholders forum to get the input of the civil society and other critical stakeholders, into the goals, which will guide legislative activities in the Green chamber for the next four years.
The Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Center (PLAC,) Clement Nwankwo, while speaking at the stakeholders engagement had commended the 10th House of Representatives for opening conversations around the formulation of its Legislative Agenda.
He expressed hope that the expectations of citizens will be reflected in the Legislative Agenda, especially as it concerns improved living conditions.
Nwankwo said: “Nigerians want to see an improved development action by the legislature and given the fact that the House of Representatives is being perceived and seen by Nigerians as the people’s parliament and the hope is that the expectations of citizens are met.”
For the House leader and Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Legislative Agenda is anchored on the vision of the House, for Nigeria is one of a prosperous and vibrant nation where every citizen can achieve their full potential.
Ihonvbere said: “We envision a Nigeria where the economy is robust and diversified, infrastructure is world-class, education is transformative, healthcare is accessible to all, and governance is transparent and accountable. This vision transcends partisan lines, and it is the collective aspiration of every Nigerian.”
He added: “As representatives of the people, we are entrusted with the enormous responsibility of shaping the trajectory of our country’s development.
“The Legislative Agenda is a culmination of tireless efforts, broad consultations, and dedicated research aimed at addressing the critical challenges facing our nation while seizing the abundant opportunities that lie ahead.”
Interestingly, most of the issues captured in the legislative agenda have been on the front burner of national discourse for some time.
For instance, financial autonomy for the local government, so as to free them from the stranglehold of state governors has been a recurring issue in the parliament, especially during the Constitution review exercises in the preceding assemblies. However, the federal legislature has not been able to push it through.
Similarly, other electoral reforms being considered include diaspora voting, establishment of an electoral offenders commission, as well as issues surrounding the appointment of INEC chairman and national commissioners.
Recall that the rejection of the five gender bills, which had sought to create special seats for women in the state and federal legislatures, as well as address citizenship issues and provide for affirmative action in political party administration, by the 9th assembly, had generated furore in the polity.
Consequently, pundits say the inclusion of these pertinent issues in the legislative agenda of the 10th House, is a step in the right direction. This in the views of a school of thought argue that the actualization of the goals, apart from addressing critical issues affecting the citizens, would help to deepen the country’s democracy.
Nevertheless, the question, is how far can the parliament go in the pursuit of these goals? The speaker says as part of measures to actualize the agenda, standing committees and individual members are expected to align theirs activities, including bills, motions with the agenda.
According to him, “this Agenda has identified areas for legislation and intervention. All Committees are requested to integrate the Agenda to their respective work-plans. Members should also ensure that legislative proposals, including bills, motions, etc,. are in with the provisions of this Agenda.”
Abbas added: “We have equally set up a Legislative Agenda Monitoring and Implementation Committee to ensure religious implementation of this agenda. I charge citizens to hold us to task on the articulated issues and even more.”
Analysts say with the Legislative Agenda adopted by the House and unveiled to the public, all eyes will be on the House and the leadership to see how far they would go with the goals, in the next four years.