AMAC Councillors drilled on legislative practices, governance

By Stanley Onyekwere

In order to facilitate effective development and service delivery at the grassroots, Yiaga Africa Centre for Legislative Engagement has engaged councillors representing the 12 wards of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), on legislative practices and governance.
The Centre in collaboration with AMAC yesterday organised a two-day workshop for the lawmakers, with aim of strengthening the cohorts of councillors to respond to governance challenges and improve service delivery to citizens at the ward level.
In his Keynote address, AMAC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, Chairman, who described the training as apt, appreciated the organisation for partnering with the Area Council in building the capacities of it’s legislative arm.
He charged the participants to be open to learning and ensure that the knowledge acquired will be used for the development of the area council.
Candido also enjoined the councillors to always embrace initiatives targeted at bridging capability as well as employ qualified legislative aides, to enable them perform their duties efficiently.
Also speaking, Coordinator of Yiaga Africa, Dr. Ernest Ereke, said the two-day retreat will enhance the councillors knowledge and skills on legislative practices and how to relate with their constituents.
“The local government is the closest to the people and the government in which people can relate with easily and we believe it will be best to build the capacity of the people’s representative at the local government level.
“We want them to deliver on the key mandate of representation of legislation, oversights of government’s policies, projects and programmes.
“They will be exposed to skills on budget and oversight of budget implementation and to ensure that funds appropriated to the Council’s are judiciously utilised.
“We hope that at the end of the training, their capacity on governance, development and democracy in AMAC would have been improved,” he said.
Ereke added that the participants would be exposed to issues related to sexual and gender based violence in their wards and how to take actions on such cases.
On his part, a participant and councillor representing Wuse ward, Mr. Mathias Aliu, who is Deputy Majority Leader, AMAC Legislative Council noted that the training would enable them understand legislative techniques and how to impact the lives of their constituents.
Not left out, Special Adviser to the Chairman on I.C.T, Donor Agencies and Civil Societies,
Mrs Abiodun Essiet, added that the training would help improve budgetary process and engagement with citizens and good governance in AMAC.