N/Assembly not yet settled – CSO

Civil Society Organization (CSOs) have said that the progression of bills since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly (NASS) has been slow, adding that the NASS has not yet settled down to business. Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said this at a CSO meeting with the theme “Tracking Reform […]

Civil Society Organization (CSOs) have said that the progression of bills since the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly (NASS) has been slow, adding that the NASS has not yet settled down to business.
Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said this at a CSO meeting with the theme “Tracking Reform Bills: the Role of Civil Society”, organized by PLAC with the support of DfID,  in Abuja on Thursday.
He noted that earlier it was the Senate that faced challenges and now the House of Representative with the issue of budget padding, all of which had unsettled the NASS.
“Apart from money bills and the MTEF, no other bill has been passed by the National Assembly and signed into law. Yet, multiple bills exists in the National Assembly, that requires urgent attention including bills aimed at improving the business environment in Nigeria and reforming the economy.”
Civil Society Organization (CSOs) play a critical role in the law making process, including providing resources and insights to the understanding and implication of bills. Since CSOs work in different sectors and thematic areas, it is important that the experienced gained from work in this sectors feed into the process.
It is in the light of this that PLAC is convening this strategy meeting of CSOs aimed at identifying crucial bills at different bills at different levels of progression in the National Assembly and discussing how best CSOs can strategize to play its role in law making process.
Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) with support from British Department for International Development (DfID) organized a Civil Society Organization meeting to discuss the status of reform bills before the National Assembly.