Kamoru Ogunlana, the clerk of the national assembly, says the nation’s parliament needs to fully embrace technology in lawmaking.
Speaking on Friday at a retreat organised by the national assembly in partnership with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) and the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ogunlana said adopting technology would also reduce the use of paper, promoting a green environment.
“It is essential to recognise that the national assembly service is dynamic and continually facing new challenges and at the same time opening up fresh opportunities,” he said.
“Our agenda in this retreat is not limited to addressing these challenges and exploring new areas that lie ahead of us but to creating innovative team-building plans to harness our human assets.
“Embracing digital technology is not an option but a necessity. As a parliament, it is high time we upgraded our practices and processes in line with the concept of e-parliament.
“I am mindful that the integration of digital technologies into the parliamentary process in Nigeria was delayed because the repealed Evidence Act, which was enacted in June 1945, prohibited the admission of computer-generated evidence in Nigerian courts. The new Evidence Act 2004 has removed this obstacle.
“Therefore, there should not be any hesitation to integrate digital technology into parliamentary practices and processes.
“Failure to integrate digital technology in parliamentary practices and processes exposes us to the risk of another shutdown of parliament as was experienced during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2019 and the consequent lockdown in 2020.”
“The national assembly should be intentional in adopting the concept of e-parliament because this reduces paperwork, allows lawmakers to participate in sessions and vote without being physically present, gives members of the public access to parliamentary proceedings, documents and records online, and makes tracking by the management of legislative processes, including the drafting, debating and amendment of bills, easier.
“We must deliberate on the implementation strategies that will bring this vision to life at a minimal cost.”
Addressing the security situation at the national assembly, Ogunlana said individuals with no legitimate reason to be at the complex are often present.
“Parliaments worldwide prioritise security; that is why they are allowed to establish and manage their own in-house security outfits, which are called sergeant-at-arms in most Commonwealth countries,” he said.
“It is concerning that unauthorised persons access the national assembly complex unabated because of the growing challenges of insecurity.
“This development is unacceptable considering the security risk it poses to the complex, lawmakers, staff and visitors.”
Ogunlana added that there should be “innovative ideas and mechanisms” for regulating access and identification processes to enhance security within the national assembly complex.
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