Monday 19 September, 2022

Nigerian legislators pose with some of the Canadian instructors

Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, Chairman of the Nigerian Conference of State Legislators

Some 70 state legislators and local government chairmen, under the aegis of the Nigerian Conference of State Legislators, were at the Professional Development Institute of the University of Ottawa for a two-day course on governance titled : Processes in government study. Organized by the OZ Consulting Firm, the program was structured to use the Canadian governance structure and experience, to enable the legislators explore ways to reshape the Nigerian legislative landscape for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

Among the attendees were Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, Chairman of the Nigerian Conference of State Legislators, and Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly; Hon Uche Victor Okafor, Speaker Anambra State House of Assembly and Dr. Ebere Nzewuji, Personal Assistant to Senator Rochas Okorocha. In an interview with Black Ottawa Scene, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman explained that one of the purposes of the training program was to learn how Canada has evolved a legislative structure in which both the federal and provincial governments have clearly defined powers, roles and responsibilities; in Nigeria on the other hand, the federal government has most of the power even though it has a federal legislative system like Canada. He also identified corruption as one of the biggest problems in Nigeria and said this program would give legislators tools to work towards a corruption-free society.