An Inter- Face between the governors and legislators elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has kick- off in the commercial city of Kano.
The objective of the engagement was to create a healthy relationship between the executive –legislative which is expected to impact on good governance in the country.
Rochas Okorocha, governor of Imo state, presided over the inter-face engagement on Monday, which has most of the APC governors, as well as members of the National Assembly, elected on the platform of the party in attendance.
Okorocha, who is the chairman of the Forum, gave an insights into the issues that led to the emergence of the engagement disclosed that the inter-face was conceived as a way of help to reduce distraction in the governance of the country.
According to him, the engagement which is programmed to be a quarterly event would also facilitate the emergence of stable political institutions at both the executive and legislative arms at all levels.
“The PGF Legislative Programme Steering Committee co-chaired by experienced leaders in the business of law making, such as the Governors of Abiola Ajimobi, Aminu Bello, and would be guiding the engagement process. Depending on challenges identified, at least one activity every quarter should be implemented.
“Through the PGF Quarterly Legislative Parleys, we will aspire to build consensus on issues of national development, especially focusing on challenges law making and ensuring that our democratic process strengthens service delivery through proactive legislative environment at all level.
“For us in the APC stakeholders for a platform where there will be cross –fertilization of ideas. We noted that some o four initial challenges since May 29, 2015 were distractive.
“We must move forward both as a party mandated to provide leadership to Nigerians, and also as leaders to resolve all our disagreements and expedite the process of strengthening our democracy” he explained.
Governor Okorocha further disclosed that the platform would also help in identified sections of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, and other Act enacted by the National Assembly that required amendments.
“Although the Chapter 1, part 11 of the 1999 Constitution clearly delineates both functions and powers of the legislative and the executive arms, experiences since 1999 highlighted critical challenges.
“These challenges border on power play that tends to result in disruptive activities that sometimes truncate the capacity of any of the arm to discharge their functions as provided under the 1999 Constitution, ostensibly due to advantages of balance of power by the corresponding arm” he added.
