The president of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Excmo Adebo Ogondoyin has met with the governor of the state of Kwara and president of the Forum of Governors of Nigeria (NGF), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq in Ilorin to strengthen legislative governance and accelerate constitutional reforms throughout the country.
The meeting focused on building institutional synergy between legislative and executive weapons at the subnational level.
Rt. Excmo Ogundoyin took the opportunity to inform NGF president about the wide reforms initiated under his leadership of the speaker conference.
“We are committed to repositioning the state houses of the Assembly so that they are more shocking, autonomous and respond to the needs of our people. We believe that collaborating with the Forum of Governors of Nigeria is essential to achieve these objectives.”
The president of the conference presented key reform initiatives designed to promote legislative autonomy, capacities development, public responsibility and intergovernmental cooperation throughout the country.
Rt. Excmo Ogondoyin also requested the support and association of the NGF to guarantee the successful update of these reforms throughout the country, describing the forum of governors as “a key ally to boost institutional change.”
“We are not working in isolation. For significant change to occur, we need our governors. His association is crucial and fundamental.”
In the ongoing constitutional amendment process, the president of the conference emphasized the importance of aligning the positions of the NGF and the speaker conference to guarantee the success of the key amendments that reflect the current realities and which will strengthen the federal system of Nigeria.
“We expect a united front about constitutional reform. This is a historical opportunity to remodel the government for better, and collaboration between our two bodies is essential. We need the forum of governors to support the key legislative proposal, such as the return of power, fiscal federalism and state surveillance.”
In his response, the president of the Forum of Governors of Nigeria, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, praised RT. Excmo Adebo Ogundoyin for his proactive leadership and reaffirmed the commitment of the NGF to strengthen democratic institutions throughout the country.
Today early, I also visited the president of the Chamber of the State Assembly of Kwara, Rt. Excmo Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, where we share ideas about the collaboration between legislative and the priorities of the conference in the future.