Speakers call for National Assembly, state assemblies’ collaboration on security, economy

The Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin, has called for partnership with the National Assembly to address insecurity and other economic challenges currently confronting the country.

Ogundoyin made the call on Monday in Abuja at the opening of a day national dialogue on the 10th House Legislative Agenda, organised to mark the second anniversary of the house.

According to him, while the House of Representatives sets the legislative agenda at the federal level, its meaningful national impact often requires collaboration and partnership with state houses of assembly.

The cooperation, he said, was essential for aligning federal and state policies, promoting inclusive governance and ensuring that legislative actions resonated with the diverse needs of the people across the country.

“I urge the national assembly and state houses of assembly to collaborate on the following: youth empowerment and skill acquisition, supporting MSMEs, promoting agricultural development and food security and advancing digital economy and innovation.

“The synergy between the national assembly and state houses of assembly is paramount in translating legislative agendas into tangible outcomes for Nigerians,” he said.

Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, said that security remained a paramount concern for every Nigerian, stressing that it was not enough to merely condemn acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence each time they occurred.

He said that the legislators must enact laws that support proactive, intelligence-driven security measures, strengthen the capacity of security agencies and promote community-based policing.

“To achieve this, we must overhaul our security architecture for greater professionalism, efficiency and better service delivery.

“This includes recruiting and training more personnel, providing modern equipment and adopting technology-driven approaches to combat emerging security threats.

“The recruitment of unemployed graduates into our security agencies should be a strategic, long-term investment in national security, not just a short-term response to unemployment.

“Our security forces must be proactive, technologically-enabled, and deeply integrated into the communities they protect.

“They must serve as a preventive shield against terrorism and criminality, not just as a reactive force. Life is sacred and the needless loss of innocent lives must end,” he said.

The chairman said that beyond security, the legislature must address the root causes of youth unemployment and economic despair which were key drivers of crime and instability.

To deter youths from engaging in criminal activities, he called for creation of more meaningful economic opportunities.

Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, said that the dialogue was aimed at fostering inclusive engagement and strengthening feedback loops between lawmakers and the public with a view to promoting transparency in legislative work.

Kalu said that it was expected to yield stakeholder-informed policy briefs, enhance understanding of the agenda and be institutionalised as an annual event.

He urged stakeholders to seize the unique opportunity to interrogate, refine and co-create the legislative toolkit that would move Nigeria forward.

The Executive Secretary of National Assembly Library Commission, Mr Henry Nwawuba, said that one of the best things to do was to monitor implementation of the agenda which was part of the aims of the dialogue.

Nwawuba said that the house had passed 1,895 bills and that it was the duty of the committee on legislative agenda to monitor the implementation of the bills.

He commended the house for the work being done and for operating an open-parliament, saying that the 10th national assembly had started a reform that would let Nigerians know what was going on.

“In a few weeks, the house will again have the National Assembly Open Week where the house will open up itself for Nigerians to interrogate.

“Frankly, once we adopt the technology and align them with global best practices, we are on our way to speedy development,” he said.