By: Muhammad Adamu Abubakar
Kano State House of Assembly has said every law passed by the House has made a significant impact on the lives of citizens.
Speaker of the Assembly, Jibril Ismail Falgore, disclosed this at a one-day training for legislators on Mainstreaming Human Rights and Human Rights Impact Assessment into the Legislative Process and Legislation, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and held in Kano.
The Speaker, represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Rural and Community Development, Salisu Ibrahim Muhammad, said the legislature is a critical component of democratic governance.
He said the event was timely, considering its importance to the legislative process.
Salisu Ibrahim Muhammad, who is also the member representing Doguwa State Constituency, said bills that evolve around healthcare were tabled during plenary.
He further said every law passed by the House undergoes scrutiny and covers various aspects of human endeavour.
He explained that the tempo must be maintained by the commission and other relevant bodies through continuous training and capacity-building for members of the new legislature.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Tony Ojukwu, represented by the Coordinator of the Kano State Office, Shehu Abdullahi, commended the lawmakers and other officials for attending the programme.
He said the commission is empowered to review proposed legislation and administrative measures to ensure their consistency with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as well as Nigeria’s regional and international human rights obligations.
He said the legislature is the guardian of democratic governance, adding that the quality of any democracy is reflected not only in the number of laws it produces, but also in the quality, inclusiveness and human rights compliance of those laws.
He explained that the National Human Rights Commission remains firmly committed to working with the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and other relevant institutions to strengthen rights-based governance in Nigeria.
The event featured paper presentations on International, Regional and National Legal and Policy Frameworks Supporting Human Rights Impact Assessment; Human Rights Impact Assessment: Definition, Purpose and Scope; Human Rights Impact Assessment Template and Practical Guide; and the Role of Legislators in Advancing Human Rights through Legislation, Oversight, Representation and Budget Approval.
Other presentations focused on the Legislative Process in Nigeria, Systematic Barriers to Mainstreaming Human Rights and Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA).
The training was attended by the Deputy Clerk of the Legislature, Director of Legislature, Director of Administration and Human Resources, Deputy Director of Legislature, representatives of the State Assembly Service Commission, members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and some clerks of the committees.
