USAID S2S Activity holds workshop for Gombe legislators, key officers in Kano
The United States Agency for International Development State to State Activity has held a three-day legislative oversight orientation workshop for the 24 members of the Gombe State House of Assembly, including clerk and 13 secretaries of various house committees in the house.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the workshop was held in collaboration with the house.
The purpose of the oversight orientation is to provide adequate orientation on legislative oversight/functions to the state assembly members and committee secretaries for a more enhanced legislative oversight function in the state as well as lay the foundation for State2State engagement with the legislators on key governance reforms and priority service delivery sectors.
Our correspondent gathered that the workshop built the capacity of participants for more effective legislative processes and roles in public budget oversight, financial monitoring, project monitoring, evaluation, and inclusive citizen engagement.
It also facilitated practical discussion and experience sharing on subnational legislative oversight for enhanced service delivery and strengthened collaboration between State2State and the SHoA on ongoing governance reform efforts in the state.
Declaring the workshop opened on Wednesday, the Speaker of Gombe state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Luggerewo, lauded S2S Activity for supporting Gombe State Government to improve good governance, transparency and accountability, saying that the workshop was to guide them on how to carry out their legislative functions effectively.
“The workshop is apt and the title Legislative oversight will build the capacity of members to carry out their constitutional responsibility,” Luggerewo added.
In a goodwill message, the Speaker of Kano State House of Assembly, Jibrin Falgore, represented by the Deputy Speaker Muhammad Belo Butu-butu, advised participants to utilise knowledge acquired at the orientation workshop in discharging their duties and functions accordingly.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the Gombe State S2S Activity Team Lead STL, Alhaji Mohamed Abubakar Bello, said oversight is a critical government function performed by the legislative arm on activities of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as well as other government legislatively constituted bodies, such as committees and councils.
The STL noted that objectives of workshop was to increase the efficiency of sub-national government operations, improve sub-national government responsibility to citizen need, civil society organisations engagement.
The workshop held at Chilla Luxury Suites Kano State from 16th to 18th of August 2023, familiarised participants with the legislative arm of government, including operations, budget planning, oversight functions, procedure of making law through working with the Ministry of Justice, organisational structure and rules of proceedings, and the importance of committees.
The workshop reinforced the importance of government transparency and accountability and supported a more informed legislative body.
Capacity of participants were enhanced on types and forms of oversight powers and procedure for legislative oversight, practical ways to improve legislative skills for oversight, and legislative/executive conflict in the performance of oversight function.
It also enhanced understanding of existing templates for the oversight more enhanced legislative oversight function
