Ibadan – Professor Stephen Lafenwa, PhD, has called for the introduction of a Course of study that will focus on teaching Legislature as an arm of government.
Professor Lafenwa, an Associate Professor, at the University of Ibadan made the call while delivering a Paper at the Town Hall meeting organized by the Oyo State Mobilisation Agency for Socio-Economic Development, OYMASED, in conjunction with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
Speaking on the title, ‘Legislative Performance and Constituency Relations in Oyo State: Achievements and Gaps, the University Don noted that Courses like Public Administration and Law focus on the Executive and the Judiciary arms of government questioning why no academic field has been dedicated to teaching about Legislative activities.
Earlier, the Director General OYMASED, Honorable Morohunkola Thomas, speaking on the theme ‘Reviewing the Achievements and Challenges of the 10th Assembly in Oyo State’ said the Town Hall meeting was aimed at appraising the activities of the 10th Assembly with a view to determining key areas where improvements are required because of the crucial role it plays in a democracy.
‘A democracy is assessed by the quality of its legislature’, he said.
Also speaking, the Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Nigeria, Marija Peran commended the Oyo State Assembly for its various achievements. She stressed the need for more grassroots engagements for more impactful representation.
In his speech, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Right Honorable Adebo Ogundoyin reeled the Achievements of the Assembly while assuring that Town Hall meeting will be decentralized to hold simultaneously in all the constituencies of the State.
According to him, such meeting will go a long way to encourage ‘participatory, future-based and people-oriented legislation’.
The Town Hall meeting was attended by Members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Civil Society Organizations, Market Leaders, PMS, ACOMORAN, Security Agencies and Religious groups.
