In order to achieve excellence in state leadership and governance, members of the 8th Delta State House of Assembly (DSHA) have been instructed to act honourably.
In his opening remarks at the four-day post-inauguration retreat for lawmakers on Tuesday in Asaba, Speaker of the House Hon. Dennis Guwor said the retreat is a result of the pre-inauguration induction training of members that took place in Abuja between May 8 and May 12, 2023.
They are required to play significant and active roles in government, according to Guwor, who also noted that the administration can only use State resources that have been appropriated by the legislature. Guwor described them as the representatives of the people and as strategic partners.
The Speaker stated that the retreat would give the lawmakers the necessary insight on how to successfully navigate complex governance issues while performing their legislative duties, noting that training and capacity building of members have been firmly mainstreamed into the work plans of the 8th Assembly.
In order to implement the Standing Orders and Rules of the House and to approach the oversight duties assigned to Committees, legislators require more than just common sense. It is necessary to consciously acquire the tactics and skill sets necessary for informed and meaningful debates, as well as for other legislative tasks, he stated.
While extending a warm welcome to the Speaker and the members, the Acting Clerk of the House, Oto Aghoghopia, stated that the training had been extremely beneficial and that numerous insightful observations and suggestions had been made.
The Clerk reported that the House’s management had acknowledged the observations and had dutifully forwarded them to the 8th Assembly’s leadership.
Aghoghopia expressed the hope that the House leadership would address some of the important aspects of legislative practise and procedure during the current retreat.
