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A coalition of Civil Society Organisations is set to audit the stewardship of members of the National Assembly as an instrument for elevating the ‘Office of the Citizen’ to its rightful place in our Nigeria.
Executive Director, Fix Politics Nigeria, Mr Anthony Ubani gave the advice while addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja.
Mr. Ubani said that constructive engagement with the National Assembly will produce productive results for the good of the nation.
He said it is a well considered approach to engage the National Assembly on a basis anchored on Legislative Accountability in the interest of Nigerians.
These CSOs he said acknowledge that legislators are elected by citizens to promote their interests and the constructive engagement with civil society organisations CSOs can result in productive patnership in the interest of citizens.
According to them, there is therefore a convergence in the roles played by civil society organizations with those played by members of Parliament MPs.
He said: This cohort is concieved and built on a similar model. The National Assembly and Civil Society need not be cat and mouse or regard each other with suspicion at best. We can build mutual confidence and work together to achieve a better country.
“That is why it is our well considered approach to engage the National Assembly on a non-adversarial basis anchored on a double-plank platform of (i) Legislative Accountability and (ii) Recognition and Reward System to incentivize improved performance in the interest of citizens”
The coalition comprising of Fix Politics Nigeria, Order-Paper Advocacy Initiative Nigeria, Afican Centre for Media and Information and We Enabling Women Everywhere WEWE and other civil society organizations said that the cohort ‘ll be relying on and guided by the exclusive signature, stewardship appraisals of members of the National Assembly of Nigeria.
On the specific objectives being pursued by the coalition, it said that it will be cultivating and sustaining a cohort of performance driven and reform minded legislators who can partner with the civil society on critical governance themes.
Furthermore, it will be creating performance driven and reform minded legislators who can patner with civil society on critical governance themes.
Moreover, it would be creating performance thresholds for legislators and the legislature in subsequent assemblies.
Lastly the coalition will be advancing legislative strenghtening and accountability in Nigeria.
The group therefore outlined measures and activities towards engaging with the leadership of the National Assembly on issues of concern to Nigerians, such as, electoral reforms, constitutional amendment, anti-corruption, transparency and public finance management.