8th DTHA: Guwor leads members on training programme, says House ready to hit the ground running

Speaker of the Delta State Assembly, Rt. Hon Emomotimi Dennis Guwor has assured that the 8th Assembly will partner with institutions with the potential of enhancing the legislative business of the House.

Rt Hon Guwor gave the assurance in his goodwill message at the opening ceremony of a training programme organized by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for members of the newly inaugurated 8th Delta State House of Assembly, which is taking place at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom state.

The Speaker stated that the induction workshop was apt as lessons learnt from the training will enable members to hit the ground running when the House resumes plenary next week.

He said “The 8th Assembly of Delta State House of Assembly, which was inaugurated on the 13th of June, 2023 welcomes with open hands this engagement with KAS and NILDS. Delta Assembly is made up of 29 members. Out of the number, 20 are new while 9 are returning members. That is to say that more than two/third of members of the House are new. The implication of this statistic is to show how vital this training meant for us”.

The Speaker expressed optimism that the impact of the training will reflect on legislative work of members as it was aimed at deepening their understanding of legislative practice and procedures.

“I am confident that the lessons we will take home from this training will enable us hit the ground running when we resume plenary. The Delta State House of Assembly is proud to be one of the partner States of KAS. We will continue to cherish this partnership aims to equip legislators with skills and tools in parliamentary practice and procedures”, Guwor stated.

The Speaker said the Delta State Assembly prides itself as the most developed sub-national parliament in the country and commended KAS and NILDS for being an integral part of the success story with their training and retraining programmes.

“Delta State House of Assembly has benefited immensely in capacity building of Members and Staff by KAS and NILDS in the 6th and 7th Assemblies. We know that continuous engagements with your erudite pool of resource persons will deepen our understanding of legislative practice and procedures. We therefore request that more training opportunities with your Foundation be extended to us”, Guwor said.

The Speaker urged his colleagues to take the training seriously and contribute meaningfully on issues to be discussed during the training sessions.

The Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Nigeria, Marija Peran, said KAS is a German Political Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, with a mandate to promote Democratic and Good Governance as well as foster good relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and host countries.

She said “In Subsahran Africa alone, we have 20 offices. One of them is our office in Nigeria, which we established in 2001. Since then, we have not shied away from any effort to support the democratic forces in Nigeria and to promote good governance and the rule of law for the benefit of the sustainable development of this country.

“Working closely with our Nigerian partners, we have been facilitating platforms for democratic dialogue for Members of the National Assembly and of many State Houses of Assembly throughout our presence in the country”.

Peran congratulated members for their victories at the polls and successful inauguration.

“Working with parliaments worldwide, is what KAS is rooted in. Our training series with the State Houses of Assembly is one of our longest-standing programs in Nigeria.

“Let me use this opportunity to appreciate the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Guwor Emotimi Dennis, for the collaboration offered to us and for your trust and loyalty put in our organisation. We are very glad to continue our partnership with this training”. She stated.

The Resident Representative said there was need for State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria to play a more decisive role in the governance of their states, noting that the training programme will deep-dive into so many important areas to achieve the set objectives.

“This training should benefit you and in extension benefit the further strengthening of Nigerian democracy. The objective is to enable political decisions that are citizen-oriented and locally oriented”.

Some of the Lawmakers who spoke in separate interviews, including the Deputy Speaker, Arthur Akpowhowho, Austin Uroye, Warri South One, James Auguoye, Okpe and Mathew Omonade, Ughelli North One, commended the training programme aimed that preparing them for the task ahead.

The lawmakers assured that the induction course would be very impactful.

Topics include “the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Concept of Separation of Powers”, Legislative Functions, Process, Power, Ethics and Privileges”, and “Committee in the Legislature, Composition, Essence, Power of Oversight and Limitations in Budget Tracking”, would be delivered in the two day programme.

Others include “Legislative Agenda and Benchmarking the Activities of State House of Assembly”, “Parliamentary Protocol, Standing Orders, Motions and Debates Resolutions”, “Introduction to Budget Process”, “Legislative Code and Ethics as a Baston of Integrity and Good Leadership”, “Civil Society Organizations, Representation, Constituency Relations and Public Engagement in the Legislative Process” as well as Implementation Considerations, Legislative Duties, Functions and Rules of Procedure in Practice”.