A cluster of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Saturday advocated for the establishment of a website for the Kogi House of Assembly to foster relationship between lawmakers and their constituents.
Mr Hamza Aliyu, the Executive Director, Initiative for Grassroots Advancement (INGRA), made the appeal in Lokoja shortly after a meeting in his office.
Aliyu explained that the advocacy for the establishment of a website for the House became imperative in view of the information gab existing between the lawmakers and the citizens of the state.
He argued: “The citizens at the lawmakers’ constituencies are entitled to know what’s happening in the House in terms of budget, bills, motions and other activities that can foster growth and development in the state.”
“The website is a six months project, which when completed will promote the culture of citizen-legislative relationship, in such a way that it will benefit the citizens in terms of having their issues at the front burner of the activities of the House of Assembly, especially at the state level.
“We tagged it the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Engagement Project with the core objective to promote that relationship in terms of providing a platform on which citizens and the elected representatives will interact to stimulate development at the grassroot.
“We know that the constitution provides that enabling environment, but because of some issues around logistics and some issues around capacity of individual members, that relationship has not been very effective.
“And because of that, a lot of issues around governance, dislocates between the citizens and the elected representatives thereby hindering growth and development in their constituencies,” he said.
According to him, what is basically needed in this six month is to increase access to information for citizens on governance, especially in terms of issues around accountability and transparency in fiscal policies in the public sector, especially around budgeting.
The executive director also disclosed that the CSOs are also aiming for a two-day retreat where “we’ll have selected civil society members, media, and elected members and their House committee clerks to join us look at how our relationship can assist smooth and good legislation in the state”.
