Nigerian Senate To Launch Transparency And Delivery Commission

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, Politics Tuesday, May 10th, 2016

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – In line with the Legislative Agenda approved by the Senate, its President, Bukola Saraki has announced the intention of the upper legislative chamber to inaugurate an Independent Transparency and Delivery Commission to review and improve the oversight systems and tools of the Senate.

Saraki said the Commission will be led by a working group consisting of a world leading research institution and a partner institute in Nigeria while it will be advised by an internationally acclaimed anti-corruption expert.

The Commission Saraki disclosed will work closely with the Senate and the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes to draw up a robust oversight scheme and strengthen the internal structuring and capacity of the National Assembly to fulfil its role as an anti-corruption institution.

The Commission’s work he stated will be two-fold. Initially it will concentrate on analyzing the processes and tools by which the Senate and the National Assembly in general can be using its legislative remit, assist the anti-corruption agenda of President Buhari and more specifically strengthen the institutions through legislative reforms.

The following medium-term goal is to then deliver recommendations for better ways of working within the Senate and to ensure that it meets the highest global standards includingthe newly announced Commonwealth Secretariat anti-corruption ‘kitemark’ system.

Specifically, the group will map out how the Senate could use its oversight tools to act as a catalyst for greater transparency and anti-corruption in other parts of the Nigerian state both at the Federal and State Levels.

It will assess how the Nigerian Senate functions as a scrutiny and policy making body and how it can improve in this role.

Also, it will undertake a review of the mechanisms of the Nigerian Senate and identify areas for improvement in the upper legislative house efficiency in implementing its agenda and its anti-corruption capacity.

When functional, the Commission will look at the international and regional examples of best practice – such as Commonwealth Secretariat ‘kitemark’ – and suggest tangible reforms the Nigeria Senate could implement to improve transparency and the policy delivery process internally and across government.