Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged the National Assembly to deepen collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs), saying stronger partnerships are essential to improving legislative oversight and ensuring that government spending delivers tangible benefits to Nigerians.
Mr Dogara made the call on Tuesday during the National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, an annual event that brings together lawmakers, civil society groups, development partners and the media to promote transparency, accountability and public participation in the legislative process.
Speaking on Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the former speaker said many citizens were yet to enjoy the expected dividends of democratic governance despite successive budget approvals by the National Assembly.
He expressed concern over what he described as the persistent gap between funds appropriated by the legislature and the actual delivery of projects and services to the public.
According to him, legislative oversight must go beyond routine committee inspections and reports and should serve as an effective mechanism for detecting corruption, preventing waste, and ensuring the prudent use of public resources.
