The CSOs, 13 in number, said they hold the view that constructive engagements with the National Assembly can result in productive partnerships in the common interest of citizens.
The cohort is made up of the FixPolitics Initiative, CISLAC, Centre LSD, Social Action, AFRICMIL, Accountability Lab, PLSI, Spaces for Change, CNC, WEWE Network Afrique, ICIR, OrderPaper Advocacy Initiative and the Centre for Transparency Advocacy.
The group said this at a press conference at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday, where Executive Director, FixPolitics, Mr. Anthony Ubani; and Executive Director, OrderPaper, Mr. Oke Epia, spoke on behalf of other CSOs.
They partly said, “As CS groups, we hold the mandate of constituents and citizens to mount oversight over those elected into public office. We also acknowledge that legislators are elected by citizens to promote their interests.
“The National Assembly and civil society need not be cat and mouse or regard each other with suspicion at best. We can build mutual confidence and work together to achieve a better country. That is why it is our well-considered approach to engage the National Assembly on a non-adversarial basis anchored on a double-plank platform of Legislative Accountability and Recognition and Reward System to incentivise improved performance in the interest of citizens.
“In other words, while we will be, on behalf of citizens, asking informed questions and demanding answers on the performance of elected representatives, we will also be happy to spotlight and thumbs up impressive service delivery by legislators and the legislature.”
The CSOs added, “As you already know, the legislature is constitutionally mandated to fulfil three core functions in a democracy: representation, law-making and oversight. We believe strongly that achieving the governance goals of accountability, transparency, and democratic service delivery are directly related to the performance of these three functions.
“The cohort is working with OrderPaper to implement the MVP Hall of Fame as a framework designed to applaud and encourage exemplary legislative performances while engendering a community of healthy and productive partnerships between the legislature, civil society and the citizenry in Nigeria.
“Details of this project will be unveiled in due course but suffice to stress that civil society in Nigeria congratulates those legislators who have done their constituents proud in the performance of their duties. We also encourage those who have not done so well to brace up and utilize the remaining period of the assembly to measure up. Those who have done poorly should also brace up to answer questions if unable to change course in the months ahead.
We hereby serve notice that this cohort has outlined measures and activities to move our advocacy forward, including engaging with the leadership of the National Assembly on critical governance themes, like electoral reforms, Constitutional amendment, anti-corruption, extractive transparency, and public finance management, among others.”
