By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA – The Department for International Development, DFID, Nigeria, Tuesday, urged President Muhammadu Buhari ‎to ensure prompt fulfillment of the promises he made to Nigerians during his electioneering campaigns.

DFID which is a department of the government of the United Kingdom that is responsible for administering overseas aid, however noted that Nigerians expect too much from the new administration.

Speaking at a pre-inaugural ‎retreat for newly elected members of the National Assembly, which was organised by Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, in conjunction with Senators Forum,‎ Tuesday, head of DFID in Nigeria, Mr. Ben Mellor, insisted that the eyes of the world are currently focused on Nigeria.

Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari swears to an oath during his inauguration at the Eagles Square in Abuja, on May 29, 2015. Buhari, 72, defeated Goodluck Jonathan in March 28 elections — the first time in Nigeria’s history that an opposition candidate had beaten a sitting president. AFP PHOTO

While imploring Buhari to encourage the participation of more women in his administration, Mellor, observed that whereas there are 29 percent of women currently in the UK ‎parliament, he decried that only four percent of the new members of the House of Representatives in Nigeria are women, with seven percent ‎of them in the Senate.

‎”Getting more women into politics should also be a priority for Nigeria. ‎The cameras of the world are on Nigeria at this critical time”, he added.

‎Meanwhile, DFID urged the new lawmakers to champion the struggle for a more ‎responsive and accountable government in the country.

The federal lawmakers were further charged to play individual and collective roles towards putting the administration of President Buhari on check at all times.

Though Mellor lauded the outgoing lawmakers for their successful passage of key legislations like the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill and the Pension Reform Bill, which he said would greatly improve the welfare of Nigerians, he maintained that there are still many areas yearning for legislative attention.

“It is very disappointing that there are still hundreds of Bills awaiting second reading at both the Senate and the House, that is an area of improvement ‎for the country to move forward”, Mellor said.

He tasked the new lawmakers to mount serious checks and balances on the Executive arm of the Nigerian government, saying the country deserves “a more purposeful, inclusive and responsive legislative organ.”

According to the DFID boss, “Remarkably, for the first time, four persons of Nigerian origin were elected into the UK parliament. It is also worthy to mention the fact that members of parliament in the UK are always at the forefront of change for their country”.