BY FESTUS AHON

UGHELLI—TO ensure a robust and enduring democracy in the country, the country’s legislators have adopted a resolution for the inclusion of a non-negotiable financial autonomy clause for state legislatures in the ongoing constitution amendment exercise.

In a communique at the end of a two-day workshop organised by the National Assembly Joint Committees on Rules and Business in collaboration with the National Institute of Legislative Studies in Abuja, participants, including Principal Officers of the state Houses of Assembly in Nigeria, they agreed that the Nigerian legislature should take the challenge of ensuring effective oversight to facilitate proper budget implementation.

Speaking shortly after the workshop, which had as its theme, Legislative Practice and Procedures in Nigerian Legislature, Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Victor Ochei, represented by his deputy, Mr. Basil Ganagana, harped on the need for periodic workshops to further broaden and deepen the country’s democracy.

He said: “Given the pivotal role that the legislature plays in a democracy, it is incumbent on us to properly position ourselves through this kind of exposition to sharpen our legislative competence.”

Also, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, who read the communique, called for a code of conduct for legislators in the country and charged lawmakers to live above board in the discharge of their oversight functions.