Kogi Stakeholders Urge Assembly for Greater Citizen Participation in Lawmaking Processes
During a recent gathering in Lokoja, stakeholders from Kogi State urged the State House of Assembly to foster increased citizen involvement in the legislative process, particularly in the passage of bills. This move, they argue, would ensure that new laws align more closely with the aspirations and needs of the populace.
The appeal was made at the bi-monthly meeting of the state-level advocacy and legislative engagement forum, a collaborative effort by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the Initiative for Grassroots Advancement in Nigeria (INGRA), supported by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The forum, inaugurated on November 2, 2024, has made significant strides in enhancing public awareness and the operational effectiveness of constituency offices, as outlined by Hamza Aliyu, the Executive Director of INGRA.
Despite these achievements, Aliyu, represented by project officer Ikechukwu Mpama, highlighted the essential role of public hearings and direct citizen engagement in legislative processes. The initiative has already facilitated constituency town hall meetings across Kogi’s senatorial districts and organised a retreat for state assembly legislators to underscore this point.
Echoing the call for more inclusive lawmaking, Idris Miliki Abdul from Conscience for Human Rights and Conflicts Resolution emphasised the importance of resisting pressures that bypass the necessary legislative scrutiny and public involvement. His sentiments were reinforced by Idris Ozovehe Muraina of the Kogi Non-Government Organisations Network, who criticised the passing of supplementary budgets without public consultation.
Aminu Oseni Okutepa of the Lugard Youths Development Initiative highlighted the importance of engaging not just the legislative but also the executive branch to ensure transparency and public input in supplementary budget processes. This collective stance underscores a growing demand for a more democratic approach to governance in Kogi State, where public engagement and scrutiny are seen as crucial to the legislative process.
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