The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo has outlined a- three point legislative agenda to include needs assessment of communities, human capacity development and involvement of human rights groups in the process of law making in his resolve to consolidate on the successes of his predecessors towards repositioning the Ninth Legislature for optimum performance and taking the State to a new pedestal.
Oluomo, while speaking at a strategic legislative luncheon organised in his honour by the State Branch of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) tagged “Legislative Agenda for Good Governance” in Abeokuta, stated that his core objective was to ensure participatory legislation towards raising the bar of performance of the State legislative arm.
The Speaker said that the Assembly under his leadership was committed to ensuring that all legislative functions, particularly budget processes reflect the yearnings and aspirations of the common man, as the Assembly had resolved to engage residents through community engagement in the three Senatorial Districts of the State to give all and sundry a sense of belonging in the passage of the annual appropriation bill.
He added that priority would be accorded to human capacity training and manpower development through training programmes for lawmakers and staff of the Assembly, this he opined would avail them of international best practices in lawmaking for increased productivity to entrench democratic ideals.
He added that plans were underway for the translation of all the people oriented bills passed by the Assembly into local languages for the understanding of all the people of the State.
Oluomo emphasised the need for part-time legislature in the nation and promised to ensure adequate welfare of lawmakers, while encouraging members of the civil societies to get involved in partisan politics to offer their wealth of experience through equity and fairness to restore the hope of the the masses towards achieving a better society.
Earlier in his remarks, the National President, CDHR, Comrade Malachy Ugwummadu, assured of a working relationship between the human right society and the Assembly, expressing optimism that the Assembly would record purposeful and people-centered legislations under the current leadership in the State.
Describing CDHR as an institution which remained closer to the masses and agitate for the delivery of democratic ideals, Ugwummadu promised that advice and suggestions would always be offered to the 9th Assembly in all its legislative activities which must be reciprocated through qualitative representation and vibrant legislations.
In his submission, the Executive Chairman, Campaign Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Debo Adeniran commended the plans of the Speaker, particularly on the needs assessment of communities in the process of appropriation law, describing him as a credible representative who was capable of leading the State Assembly as a partner in progress in critical development issues with other arms of government.
Solidarity messages were delivered by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Abdul-Ganiyu Raji, Convener, June 12 Movement, Wale Okuniyi, former Speakers including Suraju Adekunbi, Titi Oseni-Gomez, Muyiwa Oladipo and Public Analyst, Ola Animasaun amongst others.
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