A pressure group, Kwara Must Change (KMC), has observed that good governance is suffering in the country due to poor representation.
The group however said that, the legislative arm of government was not providing direction based on needs of the people.
Speaking at the public presentation of legislative watch assessment report of both national representatives and Kwara state Assembly members in Ilorin on Wednesday held at NUJ Press centre, Ilorin , the convener of KMC, Mallam Abdulrazaq Hamzat, also stated that the legislative arm of government was also not strictly carrying out its oversight functions.
According to him ,”it’s our candid opinion that good governnace is suffering in Nigeria because of poor representation and we are convinced that democracy cannot produce good governance if the legislative arm of government is not providing the direction”.
He said, “Across Nigeria, many have observed that quality of government projects being executed in this fourth republic is not comparable to those of past republics and even those of the military era.
“It is based on this realization and the quest to strenghten the legislature that we came up with concept of legislative watch, as an assessment tool to widen public understanding of legislative responsibility and accountability process”.
In rating the state’s representatives at the national and state House of Assembly, Mallam Hamzat said that more than 80 percent of House of Representatives members sco6re below average, indicating low level of legislative understanding and commitment.
The group adjudged the Senator representing Kwara North, Sadiq Umar, and the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, as the most performing legislators from the state.
“More than 66 per cent of Senators scored above average in the legislative assessment, indicating higher level of legislative understanding and commitment from the senators.
“majority of members of the state House of Assembly have little understanding of legislative engagement, neither do they have commitment to improve themselves through active participation in legislative activities.
“More than 90 per cent of the state House of Assembly scored below average in the legislative watch assessment, signifying worsening state of legislative understanding”.
The convener urged lawmakers in the state to see KMC assessment as an opportunity to deepen democracy, assuring that the group and the legislators are partners in progress because it is in their success that the people will rejoice.
Also speaking, the chairperson of the occasion, as well as the women wing coordinator of the KMC, Dr. Mopelola Abdulmaliq Bashir, said that the production of the legislative watch was not an attempt to blackmail some legislators and block their future electoral chances.
She also said that, “there is every need to dispel the erroneous impression in certain quarters that views this novel efforts of the group as an attempt to blackmail legislators.
” I say it with all sense of responsibility that this erroneous impression holds no water as the group only intends to use the publication to strenghten legislative accountability and extend our hands of partnership to the legislative arm of government”.
Source:- Thisdaylive
