The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday read for the second time a Bill to establish the Lagos State Legislative and Research Institute. The Bill which is a Private Member Bill is given much laud by Members of the House as a Bill that will formalise the sharing of knowledge across the scope, national and international. Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Mudashiru Obasa fashioned that the bill is an incubator hatched for an efficient and effective legislative Institute in the State, supporting that the issue of the Council men who are abandoned without given the opportunity to perform their functions as Legislators due to lack of knowledge will be avoided as that is what the Institution will stand for. “This Bill is viable to us and also for other legislatures in service of the Parliament and other States can share in it as the Centre will be a learning space for councilors and Local Government Chairmen, promoting and deepening democracy in our State. “The Institute will also engage international Legislative bodies like African Parliamentary Union where we can acquire more knowledge through the Centre.” He maintained. Saluting Mr. Speaker for the bringing up the long overdue Bill, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu itemized that the benefit of the Bill will include among many, the induction training of new Legislative members and refresher course for existing members; training of Legislative staff of the House; fiscal training in the areas of lawmaking. He added that the laws of the House will also benefit in terms of research from the Institute when established as the laws made will be backed with scientific data while appraising existing laws or repealing old ones. “Education is a lifelong learning, medium of transfer of knowledge from one generation to another and to have an Institution to formalise the sharing of knowledge across the entire scope is a welcome and noble idea and we must do everything amongst ourselves to improve the capacity of lawmakers.” He said. Majority Leader, Hon. S.O.B Agunbiade also maintaining that the Bill has so many merits will promote the performance in the State; recommending that other State Houses of Assemblies will also benefit from the Bill when passed. In line to congratulate the Speaker and the House for their pro activeness in coming up with laws that are beneficial and germane to the State in particular and the Country at large, such as the case of Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, Cancer Institute and now the Lagos State Legislative and Research Institute Bill;
Hon. Desmond Elliot established that the creation of the Institute will also add to the great repute of the State. He however, recommended that Bill should include the collaboration of institutes to cover Diploma and Masters programs, as well as reach out to schools to teach students the principles of law. Hon. Adedamola Kasunmu adopting the position of other Honourable Members added that the establishment of the Institute will serve as a recognition from international legislative bodies and the participation of legislative institutes to keep up with Lagos State House of Assembly and the State as a whole. Hon. Rotimi Olumoh appraised the Lagos State Legislative and Research Institute Bill as a residual for knowledge with a creation of a standard library that will save the government in operational cost. “Mr. Speaker you have always facilitated vigorous bills that has transcended into laws and I am sure you will do better at the Upper Chamber in the Senate. I believe we should call the Bill, the Lagos State Institute of Advance Legislative Studies to have a connotation with the Ph.D certification.” Hon. Victor Akande proposed. Hon. Femi Saheed described the bills passed by the House as a total reflection of the situation in the State and the Institute bill will be a focal of internal democracy with the tenets, teachings and practices of how Legislative and lawmaking should be. “With the population of 25 million people, if we want democracy to be enhanced in Nigeria, we need an Institution that will uphold it and this Bill will add quality to the lawmakers and enhance democractic tenets, saving cost for the State in terms of education tourism and increase the know-how of the lawmakers elected into office.” He said. Enjoining the Members to support the Bill and give it a quick acceleration of passage so Lagos State can benefit from it, The Speaker mandated the Committees on Education and Tertiary Institution to treat the and report to the House in 3 weeks.
